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KWY  LIBERT 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


GIVEN  WITH  LOVE  TO  THE 

OPTOMETRY  LIBRARY 

BY 

MONROE  J.  HIRSCH,  O.D.,  Ph.D. 


NEUROLOGY 


AND 


METAPHYSICS 


By  CHARLES  McCORMICK,  M.  D. 


Founder  and  President  of  McCormick  Neurological  College, 

the    First    Non-Sectarian    Medical    College. 

Editor  of  "The  Ophthalmologist." 


CHICAGO 


1  905 


COPYRIGHT,  1905,  by  CHARGES  McCORMICK 


•fiPJgMETRY 


7  o.  7*~ 


When  people  are  attacked  by  "acute"  diseases 
they  either  die  or  recover  quickly;  hence  such  cases 
are  not  safe  criterions  by  which  to  judge  systems  of 
practice,  whether  they  be  rational  or  not* 

But  "chronic"  casest  the  "incurable"  ones  of 
the  old  schools,  afford  opportunities  to  demonstrate 
the  superiority  of  the  drugless  methods  described  in 
this  book. 


THE    DUALITY   SYSTEM 


Rc7Z5 


M. 

1.  Infinite—Creator— Cause.  q 

2.  rinite-Created-Effect.  £ 

Begin  with  No.  2  and  reason  toward  No.  K .  \s  i      I   (/ 
Then  form  ideas  and  plans  for  practice. 
The  proofs  of  theories  are  in  their  fruits. 


1st  law,  Mathematics. 
(Order) 


Chemistry 


Mechanics 


Combination. 


{ 


Disintegration 


Form 


\  Motion 


Natural. 
Artificial. 

Orderly. 
Disorderly. 

Regular. 
Irregular. 

Systemic. 
Locomotor. 


2nd  law,  Mentality 
(Theory) 


Inherent. . . 
(Natural) 


Cultivated  . . 
(Artificial) 


Instinct. 


Reason 


{ 


Sensation. 
Motion. 

(positive^.) 
(negative.) 

Passive. 
Active. 


{Truth  | 
Falsehood /  SSKfc.. 
\  Malignant. 


3rd  law,  Practice  . . 
(System) 


Diagnosis 


Analysis. 


(  Objective 


Dynamic 


Static 


{ 


Mental. 
Physical. 


Subjective  /  Voluntary. 

l^suDjecTive j  involuntary. 


{ 


Accommodation. 
Refraction. 


Double-prism. 
Neurometer. 


4th  law,  Limitations 
(Results) 


Intellectual 


Physiological 


Opportunity {  Capacity. 

LX  I  C  Ilia 


Desire 


Congenital 


Acquired 


f  Good. 
\  Bad. 


Mental. 
Physical. 

Supply. 
Demand. 


PREFIXES  AND  SUFFIXES 


PREFIXES. 

A-,  or  an-,  or  am-,  means  the  same  as  un-, 
in-,  or  im-. 

Ana-,  up,  through,  again. 

Ant-,  or  anti-,  against,  or  opposite  to. 

Apo-,  from. 

Bi-,  two. 

Contra-,  against. 

Dia-,  through. 

Dys-,  difficult,  painful,  defective. 

Ec-,  ecto-,  or  ex-,  away  from,  outside. 

Em-,  en-,  in. 

Endo-,  ento-,  internal. 

Entero-,  intestine. 

Epi-,  upon,  over. 

Extra-,  outside. 

Gastro-,  the  stomach. 

Haema-,  haemo-,  or  haemeto-,  blood. 

Hemi-,  half. 

Hetera-,  abnormal. 

Hydro-,  water. 

Hyper-,  over,  above,  beyond. 

Hypo-,  below. 

Hyster-,  relating  to  the  womb. 

Im-,  in-,  negative,  as  impossible  or  invol- 
untary; it  sometimes  means  within.     . 

Infra-,  beneath. 

Inter-,  between. 

Intra-,  inside. 

Leuco-,  white. 

Lith-,  relating  to  stone. 

Macro-,  large,  to  see  with  naked  eye. 

Melano-,  pigmentation. 

Meso-,  middle. 

Meta-,  with. 

Micro-,  small,  not  visible  to  naked  eye. 

Mon-,  single. 

Multi-,  many. 

Myelo-,  referring  to  brain  or  spinal  cord. 

Myo-,  muscle. 

Neuro-,  nerve. 


Odonto-,  teeth. 

Oligo-,  lack  of. 

Ophthalmo-,  eye. 

Osteo-,  bone. 

Oxy-,  oxygen  or  acidity. 

Para-,  through  or  near. 

Peri-,  around. 

Poly-,  many. 

Pro-,  for,  before. 

Pseudo-,  false. 

Pyo-,  pus. 

Pyr-,  or  pyro-,  fire,  inflammation,  fever. 

Retro-,  backward,  behind. 

Sub-,  under. 

Super-,  or  supra-,  above. 

Sym-,  or  syn-,  together,  the  same. 

SUFFIXES. 

-aemia,  condition  of  blood. 

-agogue,  to  carry  away. 

-agra,  an  attack. 

-algia,  pain. 

-cele,  a  hernia  or  protrusion,  tumorous. 

-ectomy,  to  cut. 

-graph,  to  write. 

-itis,  inflammation. 

-logy,  discourse, 

-malacia,  soft. 

-mania,  madness. 

-odynia,  pain. 

-oid,  form. 

-oma,  tumor. 

-opia,  relating  to  condition  of  eye. 

-pathy,  relating  to  diseases  and  their  cure. 

-phobia,  fear. 

-plasty,  to  form. 

-raphy,  a  suture. 

-rhagia,  to  burst  forth. 

-rhoea,  to  flow. 

-scopy,  to   see. 

-tomy,  to  cut. 

-uria,  referring  to  urine. 


INTRODUCTION 

All  things  are  natural  or  artificial.  Those  which  are  artificial  have 
their  models  in  the  natural.  Study  of  things  may  be  either  science  or  art. 
Much  of  the  so-called  science  of  the  past  has  proved  very  mediocre  art. 
An  insatiable  desire  to  be  recognized  as  authority  has  been  the  most  bane? 
ful  of  mental  diseases.  Many  have  reached  the  goal  of  their  ambitions  at  a 
few  bounds  by  way  of  artful  mysteries  and  assertions  which  had  no  founda- 
tion in  fact,  but  the  ego  was  satisfied.  A  credulous  few  paid  homage  and 
the  mind  that  lusted  for  glory  passed  from  its  habitation  of  clay  the  sub- 
ject of  a  flattering  obituary — then  oblivion. 

Fortunately  or  unfortunately,  according  to  the  point  of  view,  there 
are  two  things  I  have  never  aspired  to:  glory  and  riches.  I  have  seen 
heroes  created,  then  crucified.  I  have  noted  lives  devoted  to  accumulat- 
ing lucre  in  payment  for  sacrificing  nearly  all  natural  attributes.  I  can 
see  nothing  in  it  all. 

The  two  greatest  humbugs  of  the  ages  have  been  and  are  religion  and 
medicine.  Neither  is  natural;  both  are  artificial.  True  they  must  have 
their  originals  in  Nature,  but  both  have  been  so  distorted  by  would-be 
authorities  that  Nature  could  not  recognize  the  imitations.  The  first 
created  gods  and  devils  and  consigned  souls  to  the  devils  to  appsase  the 
alleged  wrath  of  the  gods.  The  second,  an  offshoot  of  the  first,  began 
by  treating  ills  with  incantations  and  blood-letting  and  has  reached  the 
stage  of  inoculating  well  people  with  deadly  viruses  and  the  body  politic 
with  venal  practice  acts,  thus  creating  diseases,  mental  and  physiological, 
which  are  appalling  to  thinking  people.  The  purpose  of  this  book  is  to 
strike  both  and  hit  hard.  :     . 

EASE  AND  DISEASE. 

The  True  Definition  of  the  Last  Named.    It  is  a  Much  Abused  Word 

in  the  Old  Schools. 
Disease-  is  the  effect  of  a  departure  from  normal  of  one  or  more 
functions.  Therefore,  in  one  sense,  it  is  a  natural  product.  The  causes 
of  the  changes  are  as  varied  as  the  symptoms  exhibited.  There  are  mental 
diseases  and  physiological  ones.  It  is  as  impossible  to  possess  an  unhealthy 
mind  and  have  a  healthy  body  as  it  is  for  a  healthy  mind  to  remain  so  in  a 
diseased  body.  Why  is  this  true?  Because  Nature  is  a  mental  and  phy- 
sical demonstration  of  perfection,  of  harmony,  of  ease.  How  do  we  know? 
We  reason,  rightly  or  wrongly ;  then  we  assert  what  we  believe,  which  sets 
others  to  thinking,  usually  antagonistically,  and  combined  reasonings 
finally  develop  the  truth,  or  prove  the  correctness  of  the  original  expres- 
sion. We  judge  by  effects  and  we  study  the  natural  by  the  artificial  means 
at  hand.  Effects  are  the  fruit  of  causes.  We  reason  from  effect  to  cause. 
We  practice  from  cause  to  effect.     When  we  attempt  to  invent  causes, 


{[  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

supplant  the  natural  means  within  our  reach  by  substitution  of  artificial 
devices  we  are  liable  to  err.  I  do  not  mean  that  the  artificial  is  never  good, 
but  I  do  mean  that  when  employed  it  should  comply  with  natural  laws  a$ 
far  as  possible;  and,  unless  the  user  understands  the  principles  of  those 
laws,  whatever  success   follows  is  accidental. 

Man  is  a  product  of  natural  laws  and  by  natural  laws  he  passes 
through  evolutions,  good  and  bad,  hence  he  and  his  conditions  have  been 
set  down  as  natural.  When  he  is  well,  that  is  natural;  when  he  is  sick, 
that  is  natural,  too.  If  he  is  normal,  it  is  in  accord  with  natural  laws  that 
he  should  be ;  but  if  his  condition  is  abnormal  it  is  evidence  that  some  law 
of  Nature  has  been  violated  and  it  is  consistent  with  law  that  disintegra- 
tion should  begin.  Nature's  laws  are  dual,  positive  and  negative;  order 
and  disorder;  good  and  evil;  health  and  disease.  If  you  have  a  machine 
of  many  parts,  made  to  perform  certain  work,  and  you  remove  a  portion, 
the  machine  may  continue  to  do  its  work,  but  it  cannot  do  it  so  perfectly, 
unless  the  part  was  not  necessary  to  carry  out  the  principle.  Man  may 
create  such  machines,  but  it  is  inconsistent  with  infinite  perfection  to  con- 
ceive that  Nature  could  or  would  make  such  a  mistake.  The  bad  effects 
of  a  surgical  operation  may  be  so  much  less,  considered  on  the  whole,  than 
the  good  resulting  from  the  removal  of  a  diseased  part  that  the  patient 
and  surgeon  are  enthusiastic.  This  is  because  both  judged  by  the  relief; 
from  pain  and  the  possible  prolongation  of  temporal  life.  Both  lose,  or 
never  had,  the  sense  of  perfection  from  Nature's  view  point.  The  patient 
is  not  intact  and  is,  therefore,  more  liable  to  other  disorders. 

Theism  and  medicine  have  always  been  as  nearly  identical  as  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  first  could  be  made  applicable  to  the  practice  of  the  second, 
so  that  when  you  tread  on  the  toes  of  one  the  other  resents  it;  or,  if  you 
tickle  one  the  other  laughs.  Both  have  had  orthodox  dogmas  and  both 
have  had  their  heretics.  At  first  the  theists  put  the  dissenters  to  death, 
but  when  they  became  so  numerous  that  such  proceedings  incited  revolu*- 
tionary  symptoms  the  so-called  "irrevocable  laws"  were  modified  and  the 
revolution  became  an  evolution — a  distinction  without  a  difference.  Then 
there  occurred  other  dissenters  from  the  original  ones  and  even  in  the  new 
century  we  have  records  of  heresy  trials,  excommunications,  etc.  The 
medical  division,  dealing  with  a  more  tangible  subject,  has  its  orthodox  set, 
but,  having  no  "divine"  or  "apostolic"  head,  all  want  to  be  popes,  hence 
pandemonium  reigns.  All  are  more  or  less  heretical.  Codes  nor  dogmas, 
nor  laws,  nor  supreme  court  discisions  can  hold  us  in  line.  The  voice  of 
the  people  is  the  voice  of  Nature  calling  for  something  better;  for  closer 
adherence  to  her  laws;  for  better  understanding;  for  the  simpler  thera- 
peutics. The  wise  physician  no  longer  dares  give  evasive  replies  to  the  ques- 
tions of  his  intelligent  patients.  There  are  few  wise  ones,  which  accounts  for 
the  turn  of  the  tide  of  patronage  to  new  and  more  rational  methods.     The 


INTRODUCTION. 


Ill 


old  priests  and  old  doctors  have  required  their  flocks  to  accept  too  much 
on  faith  that  failed  to  work  out  satisfactorily,  and  the  truth  is  dawning 
on  the  laity  that  their  leaders  have  not  been  explaining  because  they  could 
not.  What  an  age  of  books  and  reason  and  freedom  of  thought  and  ex- 
pression did  for  the  theists  it  is  doing  now  for  the  medics,  and  it  will  be 
only  a  short  time  until  their  "inviolable  laws"  will  be  modified,  repealed, 
banished,  ridiculed  into  oblivion  along  with  mercury,  vaccination  and  their 
ilk,  and  natural  methods  will  prevail.  The  intelligent  public  will  dismiss 
its  self-constituted  conservators  and  choose  its  own  doctors. 

Superstition  has  always  been  propagated  by  church  and  doctor.  The 
edicts  have  gone  forth  that  you  may  violate  the  moral  code  and  be  forgiven 
times  without  number — if  you  belong  to  the  chosen  and  pay  your  dues; 
or,  you  may  violate  Nature's  laws  with  impunity  if  you  will  patronize  the 
orthodox  doctor  who  has  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  different  prescrip- 
tions for  "skin  diseases/'  according  to  "Saunders'  Formulary,"  and  the 
same  proportion  for  other  diseases ;  yet  he  tells  you  that  orthodox  medicine 
is  a  science  and  anyone  who  disputes  him  is  a  "charlatan."  A  fool  public 
believed  it  for  a  long  time,  and  many  do  now.  When  they  are  well  they 
pretend  to  have  little  use  for  medicine,  but  let  them  become  ill  with  a 
simple  cold  and  they  imagine  all  sorts  of  possibilities.  If  some  sensible, 
practical  person  suggests  they  go  to  bed,  eat  lightly  and  see  to  it  that  the 
nerve  supply  is  not  overtaxed,  they  are  insulted  and  send  for  the  doctor 
who  will  give  medicine.  It  is  so  much  easier  to  take  medicine  and  trust 
to  luck  than  it  is  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  caring  for  one's  own  body. 
If,  under  the  circumstances,  there  is  recovery,  the  doctor  and  the  medicine 
get  the  credit — to  such  people  the  fact  that  they  recover  is  proof  positive 
the  two  agencies  named  did  it  and  the  doctor  grows  to  believe  it  himself. 
When  one  dies  the  church  man  comes  to  the  rescue  with  his,  "The  Lord 
giveth  and  the  Lord  taketh  away;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord;"  and 
the  doctor  points  with  pride  to  the  fact  that  the  mortality  in  his  practice 
is  very  low.  Of  course  it  is.  Few  of  his  doses  are  lethal  and  Nature 
works  the  case  out  in  spite  of  them.  I  have  been  studying  orthodox  re- 
ligions and  medicine  for  thirty  years  and  comparing  them  with  Nature, 
with  the  result  that  I  have  less  use  for  them  each  succeeding  day.  My 
antipathy  is  all  the  more  intense  because  of  their  cowardly  intolerance  of 
rational  methods  and  because  I  meet,  every  day,  those  who  are  under 
the  blighting  influence  of  dogmas  and  of  opium  and  other  drugs — many 
of  them  ministers  and  physicians,  too. 

Some  one  will  ask:  "Are  there  no  cases  in  which  medicine  is  useful?" 
I  have  no  positive  proof  that  there  are.  I  have  seen  cases,  apparently  in 
death's  grasp,  to  which  medicine  was  given  and  they  recovered.  But  I 
have  also  seen  cases,  pronounced  absolutely  hopeless  by  a  consultation 
of  eminent  orthodox  doctors,  in  which  the  "faith  cure"  was  employed  an<? 


IV 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


the  patient  recovered.  To  me  there  is  exactly  the  same  proof  that  faith 
did  the  curing  in  one  case  that  there  is  that  medicine  did  it  in  the  other. 
And,  by  the  same  token  the  doctor  ridicules  the  faith  cure  I  could  ridicule 
the  drug  cure.  I  do  neither,  however.  I  tell  the  truth.  I  do  not  know. 
When  it  comes  to  the  point  where  rational  methods  are  impracticable,  as 
in  the  case  of  acute  attacks  such  that  the  patient  is  unfit  to  receive  in- 
structions and  care  for  himself,  I  am  perfectly  willing  the  other  methods 
be  employed.  The  drug  doctors  are  not  so  liberal  and  the  faith  curists  are 
equally  stubborn. 

That  drug  doctors  have  not  supplanted  the  methods  employed  by 
the  old  prophets,  Christ  and  his  apostles,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  nearly 
all  medical  practice  acts  exempt  "those  who  heal  by  mental  or  spiritual 
means."  Superstition  still  obtains  to  that  extent  anyhow,  and  both  the 
protected  factions,  while  berating  each  other,  unite  in  a  duet  against  new 
and  rational  systems.  It  is  a  disgraceful  fact  that  courts  will  uphold 
alleged  laws  in  the  face  of  the  utter  failure  of  both  drugs  and  faith  to  re- 
lieve those  chronic  ills  from  which  eighty-five  per  cent,  of  all  people  suffer 
more  or  less.  Justice  is  blinded  by  prejudice,  unpardonable  ignorance  or 
boodle,  hence  only  knows  juggled  mortuary  statistics. 

The  dead  are  beyond  the  reach  of  courts  or  healers,  many  of  them 
killed  by  the  old-school  doctors,  (a  fact  generally  known  and  freely  admit- 
ted by  the  doctors  themselves)  ;  none  by  the  faith  healers.  It  is  in  behalf 
■of  the  unfortunate  among  the  living  that  I  enter  my  protest.  I  urge  them 
to  rise  in  their  might  of  numbers  and  demand  that  legislators  cease  traf- 
ficing  in  public  health  and  repeal  the  practice  acts  which  seek  to  make 
criminals  of  honest  men  and  women  who  propose  new  methods  which 
employ  neither  drugs  nor  faith  in  their  application.  No  crime  is  so  great 
as  that  perpetrated  by  the  state  against  its  own  when  it  legalizes  and 
gives  a  monopoly  to  systems  which  have  been  failures  and  which  seek  to 
force  people  to  suffer  themselves  to  be  inoculated  with  one  disease  to  pre- 
vent (!)  another. 

Drugs  and  operations  have  to  shoulder  the  responsibility  for  the  weak- 
ened bodies  that  are  the  spawning  grounds  for  disease.  No  castrated 
woman  is  as  able  to  withstand  the  inroads  of  time  like  she  who  has  all  her 
organs  intact;  and  if  it  were  the  law  that  when  a  surgeon  has  so  treated 
ten  women  he  should  suffer  the  same  operation  none  would  ever  reach 
his  tenth  case.  No  man  who  has  had  his  abdomen  opened  ever  became 
the  same  in  health  as  before;  he  may  live  and  might  have  died  if  the 
operation  had  not  been  performed,  but  when  my  surgeon  acquaintance 
have  told  me  the  majority  of  operations  are  for  the  fee  incident  thereto,  I 
am  forced  to  believe  them,  (for  who  would  joke  on  so  serious  a  subject), 
and  to  express  my  abhorrence  of  such  a  way  of  getting  money. 

A  body  with  subnormal  parts  which  require  an  extraordinary  effort 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

of  the  nervous  system  to  maintain  the  proper  functional  operation  is  no 
more  amenable  to  the  faith  cure  than  it  is  to  drugs,  and  neither  faith  healer 
or  drug  doctor  knows  how  to  reach  such  cases.  The  following  pages  will 
prove  this  assertion,  make  others  and  prove  them,  and  incidentally,  teach 
as  much  of  the  rational  system  as  is  possible  for  me  outside  of  personal 
instruction..  Of  course  reasonable  people  know  there  is  but  one  sure  way 
to  get  all  the  ideas  of  another,  and  the  details  of  the  principles  upon  which 
he  works. 

IMPOTENCE  OF  OLD  METHODS. 
Testimony  of  Doctors  Who  Have  Been  and  Are  Recognized  Generally  as 

Leaders  of  Thought  in  Orthodox  Ranks. 

This  work  would  not  be  begun  properly  without  introducing  the  con- 
fessions of  eminent  old-school  doctors,  which  are  commended  to  legislators 
and  executives  who  have  to  meet  and  act  upon  demands  for  "protection" 
of  the  dear  people,  or,  in  other  words,  class  legislation  in  favor  of  the 
medical  trust. 

The  originators  of  the  practices  denounced  in  these  confessions,  yet 
practiced  by  the  confessors,  took  the  following  oath  before  entering  prac- 
tice. 

"I  swear  not  to  malign  any  of  my  former  masters,  physicians,  pharma- 
cists, or  others,  whoever  they  may  be;  to  uphold  as  far  as  in  me  lies  the 
honor,  glory,  ornament,  and  majesty  of  medicine;  not  to  disclose  to  idiots 
and  ingrates  their  secrets  and  mysteries ;  to  do  nothing  rashly,  without  the 
counsel  of  physicians  or  in  the  hope  of  gain ;  to  disown  and  to  avoid  like  the 
plague  the  disreputable  and  entirely  pernicious  methods  of  practice  now  fol- 
lowed by  charlatans,  empirics,  and  dabblers  in  alchemy,  to  the  great  dis- 
grace of  the  magistrates  who  tolerate  them.  May  the  Lord  prosper  me 
as  I  observe  these  conditions." 

The  code  of  ethics,  promulgated  in  1904  by  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, and  copyrighted  by  that  august  body,  charges  its  votaries  to  "main- 
tain an  air  of  peculiar  reserve  toward  the  public."     The  confessions  follow : 

Dr.  Ramage,  F.  R.  C.  S.,  London:  "It  cannot  be  denied  that  the 
present  system  of  medicine  is  a  burning  shame  to  its  professors — if  indeed 
a  series  of  vague  and  uncertain  incongruities  deserves  to  be  called  by  that 
name.  How  rarely  do  our  medicines  do  good!  How  often  do  they  make 
our  patients  really  worse!  I  fearlessly  assert  that  in  most  cases  the  suf- 
ferer would  be  safer  without  a  physician  than  with  one.  I  have  seen 
enough  of  the  malpractice  of  my  professional  brethren  to  warrant  the 
strong  language  I  employ/' 

Prof.  O.  Rosenbach,  Berlin :  "The  history  of  medicine  teaches  us  that 
any  and  every  method  of  treatment  has  always  been  followed  by  a  method 
based  on  exactly  opposite  principles;  and  it  further  demonstrates  that  all 
these  differences  have  been  upheld  by  fanatic  adherents  with  the  same 


VI  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

fervor,  under  cover  of  equally  good  statistics,  so  that  as  a  matter  of  fact 
every  form  of  treatment,  at  least  in  the  opinion  of  its  chief  supporters,  may 
justly  claim  identical  value  as  to  efficacy  and  healing  virtues." 

Dr.  Evans,  F.  R.  C.  P.,  London:  "The  popular  medical  system  is  a 
most  uncertain  and  unsatisfactory  system.  It  has  neither  philosophy  nor 
common  sense  to  commend  it  to  confidence." 

Sir  John  Forbes,  Fellow  of  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians,  London, 
and  physician  to  the  Queen's  household,  said,  "No  systematic  or  theoretical 
classification  of  diseases  or  therapeutic  agents  ever  yet  promulgated  is 
true,  or  anything  like  truth,  and  none  can  be  adopted  as  a  safe  guidance 
in  practice.', 

Prof.  A.  H.  Stevens:  "The  older  physicians  grow,  the  more  skeptical 
they  become  of  the  virtues  of  medicine,  and  the  more  they  are  disposed  to 
trust  to  the  powers  of  Nature." 

Prof.  Gregory,  of  the  Edinburgh  Medical  College,  said  to  his  medical 
class,  "Gentlemen,  ninety-nine  out  of  every  one  hundred  medical  facts  are 
medical  lies,  and  medical  doctrines  are,  for  the  most  part,  stark,  staring 


nonsense." 


Dr.  Alonzo  Clark:  "Every  dose  of  medicine  diminishes  the  patient's 
vitality.  In  their  zeal  to  do  good,  physicians  have  done  much  harm.  They 
have  hurried  thousands  to  the  grave  who  would  have  recovered  if  left  to 
Nature." 

John  Mason  Good,  M.  D.,  F.  R.  S.,  London :  "The  science  of  medicine 
is  a  barbarous  jargon.  My  experience  with  materia  medica  has  proved  it 
the  baseless  fabric  of  a  dream,  its  theory  pernicious,  and  the  way  out  of  it 
the  only  interesting  passage  it  contains.  The  effects  of  medicine  on  the 
human  system  are,  in  the  highest  degree,  uncertain,  except,  indeed,  that 
they  have  destroyed  more  lives  than  war,  pestilence  and  famine  combined." 

Dr.  Jacob  Bigelow,  formerly  president  of  the  Massachusetts  Medical 
Society,  says:  "The  premature  death  of  medical  men  brings  with  it  the 
humiliating  conclusion  that  medicine  is  still  an  ineffectual  speculation." 

Dr.  Coggswell,  Boston :  "It  is  my  firm  belief  that  the  prevailing  mode 
of  practice  is  productive  of  vastly  more  evil  than  good,  and  were  it  abso- 
lutely abolished,  mankind  would  be  infinitely  the  gainer." 

Dr.  Abercrombie,  Fellow  of  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians  of  Edin- 
burgh, says:  "Medicine  has  been  called  by  philosophers  the  art  of  con- 
jecturing; the  science  of  guessing." 

Prof.  Jamison,  Edinburgh:  "Nine  times  out  of  ten  our  miscalled 
remedies  are  absolutely  injurious  to  our  patients,  suffering  from  diseases  of 
whose  real  character  and  real  cause  we  are  most  culpably  ignorant." 

Prof.  Henle,  the  great  German  pathologist  and  teacher,  says :     "Medical 


INTRODUCTION.  VU 

science,  at  all  times,  has  been  a  medley  of  empirically  acquired  facts  and 
theoretical  observations,  and  is  so  likely  to  remain." 

Dr.  Eliphalet  Kimball:  "There  is  a  doctorcraft  as  well  as  priestcraft. 
Physicians  have  slain  more  than  war.  The  public  would  be  better  off  with- 
out professed  physicians." 

Prof.  Valentine  Mott,  the  great  surgeon,  says :  "Of  all  sciences,  medi- 
cine is  the  most  uncertain." 

Prof.  B.  F.  Parker:  "Instead  of  investigating  for  themselves,  medical 
men  copy  the  errors  of  their  predecessors,  and  have  thus  retarded  the  prog- 
ress of  medical  science  and  perpetuated  error." 

Sir  Astley  Cooper,  the  famous  English  surgeon,  says:  "The  science  of 
medicine  is  founded  on  conjecture,  and  improved  by  murder." 

Marshall  Hall:  "Let  us  no  longer  wonder  at  the  lamentable  want  of 
success  which  marks  our  practice,  when  there  is  scarcely  a  sound  physiolog- 
ical principle  among  us." 

James  Johnson,  F.  R.  S. :  "I  declare  as  my  conscientious  convictions, 
founded  on  long  experience  and  reflection,  that  if  there  was  not  a  single 
physician,  surgeon,  man-midwife,  chemist,  apothecary,  druggist  nor  drug 
on  the  face  of  the  earth,  there  would  be  less  sickness  and  less  mortality 
than  now  prevails." 

Dr.  Alexander  M.  Ross,  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  of  England,  mem- 
ber of  the  Colleges  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Quebec  and  Ontario, 
Professor  of  Hygiene  and  Sanitation  at  the  St.  Louis  Hygienic  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Vice-President  of  the  Association  of  Hygienists 
of  America,  Member  of  the  Ninth  Session  of  the  International  Medical  Con- 
gress, Member  of  the  British,  French,  and  American  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science,  etc.,  etc.,  says :  "I  charge  that  they  have  encour- 
aged superstition  and  humbug  by  the  germ  theory  of  disease.  I  do  not 
question  the  existence  of  infinitesimal  micro-organisms;  but  they  are  the 
result,  not  the  cause  of  disease.  They  are  the  scavengers ;  their  legitimate 
work  is  to  clean  out  the  sewers  of  our  bodies.  Wherever  there  is  decay, 
pus  or  decomposing  matter  these  little  life-savers  are  doing  their  work  of 
neutralization,  sanitation  and  purification.  They  feast  upon  effete  and 
decaying  animal  matter.     They  are  beneficial  helpers  to  an  important  end." 

H.  C.  Wood:  "What  has  clinical  therapeutics  established  perma- 
nently?  Scarely  anything." 

Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes:  "Mankind  has  been  drugged  to  death, 
and  the  world  would  be  better  off  if  the  contents  of  every  apothecary  shop 
were  emptied  into  the  sea,  though  the  consequences  to  the  fishes  would  be 
lamentable." 

Dr.  Talmage,  F.  R.  C  S. :  "I  fearlessly  assert  that  in  most  cases  our 
patients  would  be  safer  without  a  physician  than  with  one." 

Dr.  Cyrus  Edson:     "After  all  has  been  said,  it  must  be  admitted  that 


viii  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

a  proper  observance  of  the  rules  of  personal  and  public  hygiene  on  the 
part  of  every  individual  belonging  to  the  civilized  world  would  do  more 
to  effect  a  reduction  of  the  death  rate  and  prolong  the  average  duration  of 
life  than  any  discovery  in  the  cure  of  diseases  that  at  present  seems  within 
the  bounds  of  possibility." 

Dr.  Horace  Green :  "The  confidence  you  have  in  medicine  will  be  dis- 
sipated by  experience  in  treating  disease." 

Dr.  Benj.  Rush:  "The  art  of  healing  is  like  an  unroofed  temple — un- 
covered at  the  top  and  cracked  at  the  foundation.  I  am  incessantly  led  to 
make  apology  for  the  instability  of  the  theories  and  practice  of  physic.  Dis- 
sections daily  convince  us  of  our  ignorance  of  disease,  and  cause  us  to  blush 
at  our  prescription.  What  mischief  have  we  not  done  under  the  belief  of 
false  facts  and  false  theories?  We  have  assisted  in  multiplying  diseases;  we 
have  done  more,  we  have  increased  their  fatality." 

Dr.  A.  C.  Bernays:  "Ninety-five  out  of  every  hundred  patients  who 
apply  at  a  doctor's  office  to  be  treated  would  get  well  anyway,  if  left  to 
Nature." 

Prof.  Magendie :  "Medicine  is  a  great  humbug.  I  know  it  is  called  a 
science — science,  indeed !  It  is  nothing  like  science.  Doctors  are  mere  em- 
pirics when  they  are  not  charlatans.  We  are  as  ignorant  as  man  can  be. 
Who  knows  anything  in  the  world  about  medicine  ?  I  know  nothing  in  the 
world  about  medicine,  and  I  don't  know  anybody  who  does  know  anything 
about  it.  I  hesitate  not  to  declare,  that  so  gross  is  our  ignorance  of  the 
real  nature  of  the  physiological  disorders,  called  disease,  that  it  would  per- 
haps be  better  to  do  nothing  and  resign  the  complaint  we  are  called  upon 
to  treat  to  the  resources  of  Nature  than  to  act,  as  we  are  frequently  called 
upon  to  do,  without  knowing  the  why  and  the  wherefore  of  our  conduct  and 
its  obvious  risk  of  hastening  the  end  of  the  patient." 

In  the  face  of  this  testimony  who  dares  say  it  is  not  an  outrage  upon 
the  rights  of  the  people  to  attempt  to  restrict  their  opportunities  for  treat- 
merit  and  instruction  to  a  medico-political  trust?  The  so-called  medical 
laws  on  the  statute  books  are  frauds  of  the  most  malignant  kind.  They  are 
clearly  contrary  to  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  declares: 
"The  rights  of  the  people  shall  not  be  abridged."  These  alleged  laws 
should  be  repealed,  or  the  constitution  amended.  Every  person  who  under- 
takes to  treat  human  ills  should  be  held  accountable  for  the  results.  If  he 
or  she  takes  risks  without  the  patient's  full  knowledge  and  consent,  of 
without  securing  advice  from  colleagues,  and  evil  results  follow,  the  penalty 
should  be  the  penitentiary.  Such  a  law  would  protect  the  people  by  insur- 
ing them  against  wholesale  experiments,  such  as  are  practiced  daily  by  the 
old-school  doctors,  who  boast  that  they  can  do  anything  they  please  with- 
out fear  of  prosecution. 


PHYSICAL  PORTION 


ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY 


From  the  Brain  to  the  Procreative  Organs— A  Convenient  Recapitulation. 


The  skeleton  includes  the  osseous  system  from  the  bones  of  the  skull 
to  those  of  the  feet,  and  as  all  writers  agree  practically,  except  as  to  the 
number,  which  varies  according  to  the  age  of  the  subject,  we  will  not  take 
up  space  recounting  them  here,  nor  will  we  enter  into  the  histology  of 
the  structure  because  it  is  largely  microscopic,  and  this  book  is  dealing 
with  the  needs  of  everyday  practice.  In  Fig.  i,  the  spine  shown  separately 
presents  its  outside  toward  the  skeleton. 

As  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  this  work  is  to  find  fault,  it  is  perfectly 
consistent  to  say  that  the  anatomies  in  vogue  with  the  old  schools  do  not 
differentiate  between  the  important  and  the  unimportant;  hence  their 
students  are  compelled  to  master  or  rather  to  commit  to  memory  a  lot 
of  verbiage  which  is  of  no  earthly  use  to  them  in  practice.  This  chapter 
is  designed  to  supplant  the  encyclopedic  endeavors  of  other  writers  by 
giving  in  brief  space  not  only  the  structure  but  the  relation  between  the 
several  parts,  so  that  the  practitioner  or  even  the  layman  can  acquire^ 
a  comprehensive  knowledge  by  repeated  readings,  and  for  further  details 
he  can  apply  to  the  old  anatomies  and  physiologies,  accepting  with  grains 
of  allowance  many  assertions  which  are  accompanied  by  no  proofs. 

The  head  contains  the  cerebrum  or  intellectual  brain  from  which  all 
voluntary  acts  are  directed;  also  the  cerebellum,  or  mechanical  brain, 
which  is  the  storage  battery  from  which  is  supplied  sensory  and  motive 
power. 

In  Fig.  2,  showing  the  left  half  of  a  brain,  C  is  the  cerebrum;  Cb  the 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


cerebellum ;  P  the  pons  varolii,  or  bridge  connecting  the  two  lateral  halves 
of  the  cerebrum;  M,  the  medulla  oblongata  or  beginning  of  the  spinal 
cord.  S  marks  the  fissure  of  Sylvius  which  carries  the  principal  cerebral 
arteries. 

The  connections  between  the  cerebellum  and  the  medulla  oblongata  are 


Fig.  1 


positive  and  negative  as  in  all  other  batteries,  and  the  current  is  constantly 
■circulating  through  forty-three  pairs  of  nerves,  twelve  pairs  running  direct 
to  special  departments  and  the  other  thirty-one  being  distributed  by  way 
of  the  spinal  column.     Of  the  twelve  pairs  of  cranial  nerves,  the  first  pair, 


PHYSICAL    rORTION.  <? 

olfactory,  supply  the  sense  of  smell;  the  second,  optic,  the  sense  of  sight; 
the  third,  motor  oculi,  operate  all  the  eye  muscles  except  two,  the  external 
rectus,  which  is  operated  by  the  sixth,  and  the  superior  oblique,  operated 
by  the  fourth;  the  fifth,  trigeminus,  meaning  three  branches,  supplies  both 
motion  and  sensation  to  the  jaws  and  teeth;  the  ophthalmic  division  con- 
nects with  the  third  nerves  to  the  eyes ;  the  seventh,  portio  dura,  or  trifacial 
as  it  is  sometimes  called,  supplies  the  muscles  of  the  face  and  some  of  the 
muscles  of  the  eyelids,  the  orbicularis  palpebrarum  and  the  tensor  tarsi ;  the 
eighth,  auditory,  furnishes  the  sense  of  hearing;  the  ninth,  glossopharyn- 
geal, affords  the  sense  of  taste ;  some  fibres  of  it  connect  with  the  fifth ;  the 
tenth,  pneumogastric,  supplies  the  lungs,  stomach,  heart,  and  their  acces- 
sories,  being  assisted  by  the   eleventh,   called   spinal  accessory,   and  by 


Fig.  2 

branches  of  some  of  the  spinal  nerves;  the  twelfth,  hypo-glossal,  supplies 
motion  to  the  tongue.  It  will  be  noted  that  of  these  twelve  pairs,  two  pairs 
go  to  the  tongue  and  four  and  one-third  pairs  to  the  eyes,  the  only  organs 
in  the  body  so  favored.  I  sometimes  remind  my  patients  that  if  two  pairs 
of  nerves  to  the  tongue  can  make  as  much  trouble  as  they  do  sometimes,  it 
is  no  wonder  that  so  many  of  our  ills  have  for  the  primary  disturbing  ele- 
ment defects  of  the  eyes  which  have  thirty-six  per  cent  of  the  entire^ 
cranial  wires  and  ten  per  cent  of  the  entire  system  in  the  body. 

The  spinal  nerves  are  not  only  rights  and  lefts  (see  Fig.  3),  but  they 
have  anterior  and  posterier  branches,  and  these  have  other  branches  which 
interlock  in  almost  every  tissue,  so  that  messages  may  be  sent  indirectly 
as  well  as  directly.  This  interlocking  system  is  the  one  over  which  the  in- 
voluntary current  connects  one  organ  with  another  and  any  disturbance 
in  one  department  will  excite  sympathetic  action  in  all  the  others;  hence 
it  has  been  called  the  sympathetic  system.  To  read  the  old  anatomies  one 
would  conceive  the  idea  that  the  sympathetic  was  an  entirely  separate  line, 
which  it  is  not. 

A  person  starts  in  life  with  a  certain  amount  of  energy  stored  in  the 
cerebellum,  and  the  molecular  action  of  the  body  creates  some  by  friction, 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


while  the  chemical  action  upon  food  adds  a  certain  amount,  all  of  which  is 
conveyed  over  the  wires  to  the  brain  from  whence  it  is  distributed  asi 
needed.  The  current  toward  the  brain  is  called  afferent,  and  that  from  the 
brain  is  called  efferent.  The  afferent  is  really  the  positive  current  and 
efferent  the  negative,  but  as  we  utilize  it  the  efferent  takes  the  positive  form 


Fig.  3 

when  applied  too  vigorously,  thus  producing  spasms,  irritation  and  fever, 
because  the  two  functions  of  the  nervous  system  are  sensation  and  motion, 
sensation  being  exhibited  in  the  special  senses  and  in  the  warmth  of  the 
body,  while  the  motive  power  is  exhibited  in  the  musculo-motor  nerves  and 
vaso-motor  nerves,  the  latter  working  the  blood-vessels  and  lymphatics  and 


PHYSICAL    PORTION.  r 

*ther  tubular  systems  of  the  body,  such  as  the  esophagus  and  intestines. 
It  sometimes  exhibits  inability  to  perform  the  duties  required,  as  illustrated 
in  fainting  and  general  debility.  The  idea  of  giving  stimulants  to  a  depleted 
nervous  system  is  as  abhorrent  to  us  as  it  would  be  to  require  hard  manual 
labor  from  a  sick  man. 

The  brain  is  subject  to  the  influence  of  these  positive  or  negative} 
exhibits,  no  matter  where  they  occur,  because  the  various  offices  in  the  cere- 
brum, termed  the  "faculties"  by  phrenologists,  are  highly  sensitive,  not  only 
to  mental  disturbances  from  within  or  without,  but  to  any  physical  obstruc- 
tion. The  cerebellum  is  subject  only  to  physical  disturbances  such  as  blood 
clots,  which  produce  apoplexy,  and  lack  of  blood,  which  produces  paresis 
from  want  of  nourishment  to  the  nervous  system.  Of  course  when  the 
mechanical  brain  is  not  acting  perfectly  the  intellectual  one  will  be  deficient, 
but  this  effect  on  the  cerebrum  from  the  cerebellum  is  indirect  rather  than 
direct,  and  it  affords  one  of  the  best  proofs  that  all  doctors  should  dissemi- 
nate information  to  the  public  in  comprehensive  language  so  that  it  may 
apply  to  them  for  consultation  and  advice  as  a  matter  of  prevention  rather 
than  of  cure.  The  doctor  should  constantly  picture  ideal  states  so  that  all 
may  compare  themselves  therewith  and  see  wherein  they  are  lacking.  The 
first  objection  that  we  hear  to  this  proposition  is  "will  not  the  doctor  run 
himself  out  of  business?"  I  answer  "Not  in  your  life.  There  are  too  many 
fools  in  the  world  who  will  continue  to  believe  in  the  curative  abilities  of  the 
doctors,  no  matter  how  loudly  they  disclaim  it.  Some  will  reap  great  bene- 
fits and  they  will  send  others  to  the  doctor  who  seems  to  know  his  business 
well  enough  to  be  able  to  tell  it." 

The  thoracic  cavity  in  the  upper  part  of  the  trunk  is  an  air  tight  space 
containing  the  heart  and  lungs.  The  heart  is  simply  a  quadruple  pump 
with  the  necessary  valves  to  accomplish  its  purpose  under  the  inspiration  of 
the  lungs,  which  get  their  motion  from  the  diaphragm,  the  large  muscle 
which  forms  the  dividing  wall  between  the  thoracic  and  abdominal  cavities. 
This  muscle,  of  course,  gets  its  impulse  through  the  involuntary  current 
from  the  brain,  but  is  subject  to  control,  to  some  extent,  by  the  intellectual 
department,  although  it  would  be  difficult  for  one  to  hold  his  breath  long 
enough  voluntarily  to  kill  him.  The  function  of  the  lungs  as  is  well  known, 
is  to  throw  off  carbonic  acid  gas  and  to  impregnate  the  blood  with  oxygen 
gas. 

The  cause  of  pulmonary  tuberculosis  or  consumption  of  the  lungs  is 
not  what  one  breathes  in,  but  what  is  not  breathed  out.  Therefore,  the  first 
thing  the  doctors  should  teach  the  public  in  detail  is  how  to  breathe,  and 
one  of  the  principal  things  is,  breathe  in  through  the  nose.  One  may 
breathe  out  through  the  mouth. .  In  Fig.  4,  1  is  the  larynx ;  2,  is  the  trachea 
or  wind-pipe ;  3  and  4,  are  the  bronchi ;  5  and  5,  are  air  cells ;  6  and  6,  are  the 
bronchial  tubes. 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


The  circulatory  system  really  begins  in  the  lungs,  but  the  old  anatomies 
started  it  at  the  heart,  naming  all  vessels  which  flow  from  the  heart  "arter- 
ies" and  all  which  flow  toward  it  "veins;''  thus  by  their  arrangement  the 
pulmonary  artery  which  carries  the  bad  blood  from  the  right  ventricle  of 
the  heart  into  the  lungs  becomes  a  paradox,  and  the  pulmonary  veins  which 
carry  the  blood  from  the  lungs  to  the  left  auricle  of  the  heart  are  another 
paradox,  bcause  the  word  "arteries"  refers  to  aerated  blood.  The  arterial 
system,  then,  begins  with  the  aorta  which  passes  upward  from  the  left  ven- 
tricle of  the  heart,  arches  over  the  left  lung  and  distributes  branches  as 
follows :  From  the  arch,  the  two  coronary,  right  and  left,  to  the  muscular 
tissues  of  the  heart;  the  innominate,  which  divides  into  the  right  subclavian 
and  right  common  carotid;  the  left  common  carotid,  internal  and  external, 
eight  branches  each,  to  the  head;  left  subclavian,  with  fifty-four  branches, 


Fig".  4 

seven  vertebral,  three  to  the  thyroid  axis,  eight  interior  mammary,  two 
superior  intercostal,  seven  axillary,  seven  brachial,  eight  ulnar  and  twelve 
radial.  In  the  thoracic  cavity  the  aorta  gives  off  three  bronchial  to  the 
lungs,  four  esophagal  to  the  esophagus,  connecting  with  branches  of  it  to 
the  inferior  thyroid,  phrenic  and  gastric;  two  pericardiac  to  the  sac  which 
encloses  the  heart ;  twenty  intercostal  to  the  ribs,  tissues  of  sides  and  back} 
vertebrae  and  spinal  cord;  two  posterior  mediastinal  to  the  glands  in  the 
mediastinum ;  two  phrenic,  internal  and  external,  to  the  diaphragm  and  front 
and  sides  of  the  thorax;  one  coeliac  axis  with  three  branches,  the  gastric 
to  the  stomach;  hepatic  to  the  stomach,  liver,  pancreas  and  duodenum; 
splenic  to  the  stomach,  pancreas  and  spleen.  Superior  mesenteric  with 
five  branches  to  the  pancreas,  duodenum,  mesentery  and  the  intestines.  In 
the  abdomen  the  aorta  gives  off  twenty-two  branches:  Two  supra-renal, 
right  and  left,  to  the  supra-renal  capsules;  two  renal,  right  and  left,  to  the 
kidneys,  ureters  and  capsules;  two  spermatic  or  ovarian  to  the  testes  or 
ovaries;  one  inferior  mesenteric,  three  branches,  to  the  descending  colon, 
sigmoid  flexure  and  the  rectum ;  eight  lumbar,  with  sixteen  branches,  to  the 


PHYSICAL    PORTION.  j 

muscles  of  the  back,  to  the  abdomen  and  to  the  canal  of  the  spine;  one 
middle  sacral  to  the  coccyx ;  two  iliacs,  right  and  left  common,  with  forty- 
two  branches,  supplying  the  bladder,  precreative  organs  and  lower  limbs. 
The  venous  system  has  corresponding  vessels  to  bring  the  blood  back  to 
the  heart,  all  of  which  flow  indirectly  and  directly  into  the  superior  and 
inferior  vena  cava,  which  empty  into  the  right  auricle  of  the  heart,  thence 
into  the  right  ventricle,  thence  to  the  lungs,  thence  to  the  left  auricle,  thence 
to  the  left  ventricle  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  venous  system  is  really  where  the  blood  originates.  The  spleen 
which  is  attached  to  the  stomach  at  the  left  side,  takes  up  certain  elements 
from  the  food  and  manufactures  the  blood  in  its  crude  state,  then  sends  it 
by  way  of  the  portal  vein,  which  passes  under  the  stomach  to  the  liver  at 
the  right  side,  it  receiving  certain  additions  from  the  stomach  as  it  goes. 
The  liver  extracts  the  excess  of  sugar  and  urea,  then  sends  the  blood  on 
through  its  own  vessels  which  connect  with  the  inferior  vena  cava,  and  it 
goes  via  the  heart  to  the  lungs  to  be  oxygenated  before  being  distributed 
through  the  system.  From  this  we  know  that  when  the  blood  lacks  the 
essentials  necessary  for  nourishment  it  is  either  because  the  proper  elements 
did  not  exist  in  the  food,  or  they  never  got  into  the  spleen,  or  there  was  too 
much  sugar  and  urea  for  the  liver  to  handle  properly,  or  that  the  nerve  sup- 
ply to  the  liver  was  deficient.  It  follows  as  naturally  as  night  follows 
day  that  the  remedy  is  suggested  by  the  situation. 

The  right  lung  has  three  lobes  and  weighs  twenty-two  ounces ;  the  left 
has  two  lobes  and  weighs  twenty  ounces.  The  reason  the  right  lung  is 
largest  is  because  most  of  the  heart  is  on  the  left  side  and  the  aorta  accupies 
a  good  deal  of  space.  The  capacity  of  the  lungs  is  only  limited  by  the 
capacity  of  the  cavity  containing  them,  and  this  may  be  increased  by  proper 
exercise,  but  it  should  always  be  done  under  the  direction  of  one  who  under- 
stands how  to  do  it  safely. 

The  heart  is  a  muscular  organ  5x31-2x21-2  inches,  lies  diagonally, 
base  up,  apex  down  and  to  the  left,  in  the  front  part  of  the  thoracic  cavity, 
and  the  reason  we  hear  it  beat  is  that  it  strikes  against  the  walls.  It  weighs 
from  eight  to  twelve  ounces  and  pumps  about  sixteen  tons  of  blood  daily. 
Whenever  it  seems  to  be  weak  it  is  not  in  itself,  but  in  the  power  that 
operates  it,  which  is  easily  proved  by  lying  down  so  that  the  pumping  is 
done  on  a  level  instead  of  up-hill,  when  it  does  not  require  so  much  force. 
Weak  hearts  always  mean  a  weak  nerve  supply  in  the  cerebellum.  It  is 
possible  that  there  are  occasional  valvular  derangements,  but  they  are 
exceedingly  rare,  although  the  old  school  doctors  charge  all  weak  hearts 
to  the  valves. 

The  abdominal  cavity  contains  practically  all  the  other  organs,  in  the 
following  order: 

The  stomach,  13x5x31 -2  inches,  a  muscular  organ  with  glands  which 


8 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


secrete  and  extract  juices  which  it  works  into  the  food,  so  that  disintegra- 
tion is  both  a  chemical  and  mechanical  process.  Overloading  interferes 
with  the  mechanical  workings,  and  improper  food,  with  the  chemical  work- 
ings, so  it  is  obvious  both  must  be  understood.  The  stomach  weighs, 
empty,  from  four  to  five  ounces.  Its  capacity  is  from  three  to  five  pints, 
depending  upon  the  size  of  the  person  and  how  it  has  been  treated.  It 
secretes  from  six  to  eight  pints  of  gastric  juices  daily  when  in  normal  work- 
ing order. 

The  spleen  is  enclosed  in  the  same  folds  of  the  peritoneum  with  the 
stomach,  and  fits  around  the  left  end  of  that  organ,  being  connected  by  a 
vascular  system  and  serous  walls.  It  has  a  capacity  of  from  six  to  ten 
ounces,  and  is  one  of  the  four  ductless  glands  in  the  body,  that  is,  it  is 
neither  a  secretory  nor  an  excretory  organ  in  the  sense  that  many  others 
are.  It  simply  gathers  up  certain  elements  and  passes  them  on  to  the  liver 
as  crude  blood. 

The  duodenum  or  second  stomach  receives  food  from  the  stomach 
through  the  pylorus,  and  here  is  where  digestion  and  assimilation  of  food 
is  said  by  the  old  authorities  to  begin.  It  is  about  ten  inches  long  and 
curves  something  like  a  shepherd's  crook  laid  on  its  side,  running  a  little 
upward  to  the  right  from  the  pyloric  opening  about  three  inches  until  it 
strikes  the  liver,  then  curves  downward  about  three  inches,  then  to  the  left 
about  four  inches  under  the  stomach,  where  it  connects  with  the  jejunum 
or  first  section  of  the  small  intestines.  It  receives  its  juices  from  the  pan- 
creas and  gall  bladder. 


Fig.  5 


The  liver,  12  x  6  x  3  inches,  is  the  largest  gland  in  the  body,  weighs 
the  same  as  the  brain,  secretes  from  twenty  to  forty  ounces  of  bile  in 
twenty-four  hours,  excretes  sugar  and  urea,  preventing  kidney  troubles 
and  auto-intoxication  or  blood-poisoning  from  within.     If  it  fails  to  do  its 


PHYSICAL    PORTION.  q 

duty  for  any  reason,  the  only  other  organ  that  undertakes  the  job  is  the 
kidneys ;  hence  it  follows  that  when  we  find  kidney  troubles  we  must  begin 
by  treating  the  liver  to  a  rest  and  such  foods  as  have  little  sugar  or  starch 
in  them.  Fig.  5  shows  a  view  of  the  liver  from  below:  R,  right,  L,  left 
lobes;  V,  inferior  vena  cava;  H,  hepatic  vein;  P,  portal  vein;  G,  gall  blad- 
der; 1,  gall  duct;  1,  hepatic  duct;  3,  bile  duct. 

The  pancreas,  7x2x1  inches,  lies  just  behind  the  stomach  and  liver, 
weighs  about  three  ounces,  and  secretes  twenty  ounces  of  pancreatic  juice 
in  twenty-four  hours  and  delivers  it  to  the  duodenum. 

The  gall-bladder,  3  x  1  1-2  inches,  is  attached  to  the  lower  side  of  th* 
liver,  has  a  capacity  of  about  one  ounce,  but  handles  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
four  ounces  daily,  delivering  it  to  the  duodenum. 

The  kidneys,  situated  in  the  lumbar  region,  4x21-2x1  1-2  inches, 
weigh  about  five  ounces  each,  capacity  from  forty  to  fifty  ounces  in  twenty- 
four  hours,  in  which  there  is  about  1  1-2  ounces  solids  and  from  three  hun- 
dred to  five  hundred  grains  of  urea,  one  grain  of  uric  acid  to  thirty-three 


Fig.  6 

grains  of  urea  normally — more  is  bad.  Fig.  6  shows  kidney  bisected  verti- 
cally. The  left  kidney  is  higher  than  the  right  because  of  the  size  and 
location  of  the  liver.  The  kidneys  are  outside  of  the  peritoneum,  the  mus- 
cular lining  of  the  abdomen  which  encloses  nearly  all  of  the  viscera,  and  are 
held  in  place  between  it  and  the  wall  of  the  trunk  by  it.  In  great  weakness 
it  collapses  and  we  have  "floating  kidney." 


IO 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


The  supra-renal  capsules,  i  1-2  x  2  inches,  weigh  about  1-16  ounce 
each,  are  located  on  top  of  each  kidney,  see  Fig  6,  and  either  extract  toxics 
from  the  blood  or  supply  a  natural  antitoxin.  They  are  such  vital  organs 
that  if  removed  death  ensues  in  a  short  time  from  blood-poisoning.  The 
alleged  scientists  of  the  old  school  have  experimented  with  supra-renal 
extracts  as  antitoxins  for  diphtheria  and  other  troubles  until  they  have 
killed  more  people  than  the  diseases  ever  did. 


Fig.  7 


The  bladder,  5x3x5  inches,  capacity  about  a  pint,  connected  with  the 
kidneys  by  long  tubes  called  ureters.  The  liver,  kidneys,  ureters  and  blad- 
der are  subject  to  calculi  or  stone  formations,  none  of  which  could  form  if 
the  liver  was  not  overtaxed,  quantitatively  or  qualitatively  by  that  which 
passes  through  it.     Fig.  7  shows  the  kidneys  and  bladder  and  their  con- 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


IX 


nections,  from  behind.  R,  right,  L,  left  kidney;  U  U,  ureters;  Bl,  bladder; 
if  aorta;  2,  inferior  vena  cava;  3,  right  renal  artery;  4,  right  renal  vein;  5, 
neck  of  bladder. 

The  mesentery  comprises  a  double  fold  of  the  peritoneum,  about  four 
inches  wide,  extending  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  intestines,  connecting 
them  loosely  with  the  spinal  column.  It  contains  many  blood  vessels, 
nerves,  lacteals  and  lymphatics.  Its  glands  connect  with  the  lymphatico- 
lacteal  system  as  well  as  with  the  blood  vessels,  hence  it  is  regarded  as  the 
great  organ  of  assimilation. 

The  intestines.  From  the  duodenum  there  is  the  jejunum,  eight  feet, 
and  the  ileum,  eleven  feet,  which  constitute  the  small  intestines;  then  the 
caecum,  a  pouch  about  2x3  inches  in  the  lower  right  side,  to  which  is 
attached  the  vermiform  appendix  and  out  of  which  arises  the  colon  or  large 


Fig.  8 

intestine,  which  is  five  feet  long,  extends  straight  up  almost  to  the  liver, 
and  is  called  the  ascending  colon,  then  it  makes  a  turn  called  the 
hepatic  flexure,  passes  transversely  to  the  left,  makes  a  turn 
called  the  splenic  flexure,  then  descends  on  the  left  side  in  front, 
where  it  makes  a  turn  backward  and  twisted  about  like  the  letter  '%"  called 
the  sigmoid  flexure,  and  connects  with  the  rectum,  which  is  about  five 
inches  long.  The  capacity  of  the  colon,  ascending,  transverse  and  descend- 
ing, is  about  a  gallon.  In  Fig.  8,  S,  is  the  stomach ;  P,  the  pylorus  or  open- 
ing into  D,  the  duodenum ;  I,  the  small  intestines ;  C,  caecum ;  A,  ascending 


12 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


colon ;  H,  hepatic  flexure ;  T,  transverse  colon ;  Sp,  splenic  flexure ;  Dc,  de- 
scending colon ;  Sg,  sigmoid  flexure ;  R,  rectum ;  V,  vermiform  appendix. 

The  alimentary  canal  begins  at  the  mouth,  includes  the  pharynx,  esoph- 
agus, stomach,  duodenum,  jejunum,  ileum,  caecum,  colon,  rectum.  The 
whole  is  lined  with  a  delicate  membrane,  which  is  an  internal  skin,  endowed 
with  secretory  glands  that  keep  it  lubricated  from  one  end  to  the  other  if 
in  a  proper  state  of  health.  Fig.  9  shows:  1,  mouth;  2,  nasal  passage;  from 
these  two  canals  lead  to  L,  lungs,  and  S,  stomach,  the  latter  continuing  on 
to  the  anus ;  Cb,  is  the  cerebellum ;  VV,  vertebrae ;  Sp,  the  neural  space ;  H, 
heart,  K,  kidneys. 


Fig.  9 

The  generative  organs  are  important,  because,  not  only  is  a  healthy 
condition  thereof  necessary  to  the  correct  performance  of  the  procreative 
function,  but  their  abuse  from  ignorance  is  one  of  the  greatest  causes  of 
both  mental  and  physical  ills. 

In  these,  as  in  all  other  branches  of  our  work,  there  are  -f-  and  — ;  the 
male  organs  are  positive  and  the  female  negative,  yet  each  has  positive  and 
negative  elements. 

In  the  male  the  testicles  are  of  glandular  structure  called  semeniferous 
tubules,  of  which  there  are  several  hundred;  they  secrete  a  fluid  which  is 
started  on  its  journey  through  the  epididymis,  a  duct  about  twenty  feet 
long  when  unwound ;  from  this  it  passes  into  the  vas  deferens,  another  duct 


PHYSICAL    PORTION". 


13 


about  two  feet  long,  which  connects  the  other  with  the  vesiculae  semen- 
ales,  two  reservoirs  each  about  one  and  one-half  inches  long,  situated  on 
the  inner  or  posterior  surface  of  the  bladder  at  its  base,  where  the  fluid  is 
stored.  The  ejaculatory  duct,  about  three-fourths  inch  long  is  formed  by  the 
ducts  of  the  vesicles  and  the  vas  deferens ;  it  enters  the  urethra  along  with 
the  tubules  from  the  prostatic  gland,  1  1-2  x  1  x  3-4  inches,  which  surrounds 
the  posterior  end  and  supplies  the  elements  which  vitalize  the  semen. 

In  the  female  the  vagina  is  the  cavity  between  the  bladder  and  rectum, 
about  six  inches  long,  containing  the  uterus  or  womb,  3x2x1  inches;  at 


Fig.  10 


its  base,  which  is  above,  the  uterus  connects  with  the  fallopian  tubes,  each 
about  5  inches  long  and  1-10  inch  calibre,  which  connect  with  the  tubes 


14 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


from  the  ovaries  at  their  extremities.     Each  ovary  is  about  i  1-2  x  3-4  x  1-3, 
inch  in  size,  and  weighs  half  an  ounce;  in  these  are  the  Graafian  vesicles 
which  vary  in  size  from  1-80  to  1-6  inch  and  contain  ova  or  eggs.     There  are 
many  thousands  of  these  vesicles  in  each  ovary.    The  ova  are  about  1/120 
inch  diameter. 

In  females  there  is  a  pseudo  prostatic  gland  surrounding  the  neck  of 
the  bladder;  it  lacks  the  male  essentials,  but  is  a  ring  of  muscular  tissue 
well  supplied  with  nerves,  and,  being  a  sphincter  muscle  is  often  involved 
in  spasms  from  irritation  of  the  nervous  system,  causing  stubborn  bladder 
troubles  which  old  school  methods  have  failed  to  treat  successfully.  See 
chapter  on  alleged  diseases  of  women. 

There  are  several  hundreds  muscles,  but  Fig.  10  shows  the  principal 
ones  and  tells  a  very  pretty  story  that  needs  no  supplement  in  this  work. 


THE  EYES  AS   DOUBLE  GAUGES. 
The  Neurologist  Measures  the  Nerve  and  Blood  Supplies  Through  Them. 

What  would  a  steam  boiler  be  worth  without  steam  and  water 
gauges?  What  would  an  electric  plant  be  worth  with  no  means  to  meas- 
ure voltage  and  amperage?  What  would  either  be  worth  without  someone 
in  charge  who  possessed  an  understanding,  not  only  of  what  they  are  for 
and  how  to  use  them,  but  how  to  protect  them  from  abuse,  how  to  test  them 
to  see  if  they  register  correctly,  and  fix  them  if  they  do  not? 

The  eyes  are  to  the  human  body  what  the  gauges  are  to  boilers  and 
electric  plants.  With  an  ophthalmoscope  the  doctor  who  knows  how  can 
look  inside  the  eyes  and  observe  both  the  arterial  and  venous  systems,  note 
the  quality  and  quantity  of  the  blood,  thus  learning  what  the  blood-making 
and  purifying  organs  are  doing  without  inconvenience  to  his  patient. 
There  are  many  other  things  he  may  learn,  too,  as  will  be  shown  under 
the  proper  headings  further  along  in  this  work.  Few  oculists,  scarcely 
any  physicians  and  no  faith  healers  know  the  value  of  this  simple  little 
instrument.  So  simple,  indeed,  that  an  ordinary  lens  with  one  side  plane, 
or  slightly  concave,  is  a  very  practical  ophthalmoscope.  The  eyes  are 
therefore,  the  blood  gauges  of  the  body. 

The  doctor  who  knows  how  can  apply  dynamic  and  static  tests  through 
the  eyes  and  measure  the  amount  of  the  nerve  supply  just  as  perfectly  as  the 
steam  gauge  or  amperemeter  tells  the  pressure  of  steam  or  the  quantity  of 
electricity  being  consumed  each  day,  hour  or  minute.  Thus  the  eyes 
are  the  steam  gauges  and  amperemeters  of  the  body.  No  doctors,  ex- 
cepting my  own  pupils,  have  known  this  because  I  was  the  fortunate  per- 
son who  discovered  it.  I  have  compiled  data,  tables,  etc.,  and  named  them 
"The  Neurometer"  (nerve  measure).  They  will  be  found  in  the  regular 
order  of  my  story,  and  those  who  master  them  will  find  them  so  accurate 
that  after  a  complete  examination  they  can  figure,  very  closely,  the  patient's 


PHYSICAL    PORTION". 


15 


Fig.  11 

age.  If  this  sounds  incredible,  think  what  a  fool  I  would  be  to  make  the 
assertion  if  it  was  not  true. 

The  schematic  eye,  Fig.  11,  is  made  to  a  scale,  each  five  millimeters 
representing  one,  so  that  it  represents  an  enlargement  of  twenty-five  timesy 
the  regularly  accepted  dimensions  for  an  ideal  eye  being : 

Radius  of  curvature  of  cornea,  7.8  millimeters. 

Distance  of  anterior  of  lens  from  cornea,  3.6  millimeters. 

Radius  of  anterior  surface  of  lens,  10.  millimeters. 

Distance  of  posterior  of  lens  from  cornea,  7.2  millimeters. 

Radius  of  posterior  surface  of  lens,  6  millimeters. 

Distance  of  posterior  of  globe  from  cornea  22.5  millimeters. 

Radius  of  globe,  10.8  millimeters. 

The  normal  eye  is  9-10  in.  long,  8-10  in.  wide,  7-10  in.  high,  approxi- 
mately 45.  units  power. 

The  reference  figures  indicate: 

1.  Conjunctiva:  a  delicate  membrane  composed  of  minute  blood  ves- 
sels and  nerves  with  just  enough  connecting  tissue  to  complete  the  struc- 
ture.    It  covers  the  front  of  the  eye,  as  shown,  then  laps  back  inside  the 


j6  neurology  and  metaphysics. 

lids,  forming  a  lining,  and  serves  the  double  purpose  of  furnishing  the  soft 
surfaces,  which,  when  lubricated  by  the  tears,  prevent  friction  from  wink- 
ing, and  being  highly  sensitive,  it  protects  the  eye  by  giving  quick  warning 
of  the  presence  of  foreign  substances.  It  is  a  great  exaggerator,  always 
declaring  the  smallest  particle  is  a  whole  brick.  There  is  much  to  tell 
about  it  which  will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  alleged  diseases  of  the  eyes, 
and  when  you  have  seen  how  simple  and  easily  cured  they  are  you  will 
laugh  at  the  oculist's  fairy  stories.  But  don't  laugh  at  the  oculist.  He 
knows  no  better  because  a  code  of  ethics  keeps  him  from  finding  out  facts. 

2.  Cornea:  the  projecting  transparent  portion  forming  about  one- 
sixth  of  the  outer  wall  of  the  eye.  It  is  of  cellular  structure  with  tough 
surfaces  so  nearly  like  horn  that  its  name  was  given  on  account  of  the 
resemblance.  It  is  transparent  so  light  may  pass  into  the  interior,  and  its 
radius  of  curvature  is  shorter  than  the  main  globe  in  order  to  give  the 
whole  eye  more  focusing  power,  for,  remember,  in  all  optical  literature 
curvature  means  power,  and  the  sharper  the  curve  the  greater  the  power., 
consequently  the  quicker  will  rays  of  light  focus  after  passing  it; 

3.  Iris:  the  projections  from  the  margin  of  the  cornea;  the  space 
between  the  two  figures  represents  the  pupil,  which  appears  to  the  ob- 
server as  a  black  spot  in  all  eyes.  Some,  even  doctors,  call  it  the  "sight" 
of  the  eye.  It  is  the  hole  in  the  iris,  or  curtain,  through  which  light 
must  pass  to  get  back  to  the  posterior  wall,  where  the  "sight"  spot  is 
This  curtain  is  formed  by  combining  a  great  number  of  straight  ligaments 
with  a  circular  muscle,  and  the  whole  thing  would  be  like  a  lace  curtain 
were  it  not  for  the  pigment  filling,  represented  by  the  dashes.  This  pig- 
ment gives  it  color;  the  more  pigment  the  darker  the  color.  Close  ob- 
servation shows  a  variety  of  colors  in  the  same  curtain,  hence  the  name 
iris,  which  means  rainbow.  If  the  nervous  connections  are  normal  it  is 
under  command  of  the  retina,  or  optic  nerve,  and  regulates  the  amount  of 
light  admitted.  The  ligaments  run  from  the  edge  of  the  pupil  outward, 
while  the  circular  muscle,  sphincter,  it  is  called,  being  the  only  one  sup- 
plied with  nerves,  reduces  the  pupil  by  contracting,  thus  pulling  the  inner 
ends  of  the  ligaments  together;  or,  enlarges  it  by  relaxing  its  efforts. 
Some  very  ridiculous  stories  have  been  told  about  this  curtain  which  will 
also  be  exposed. 

4.  Aqueous  humor:  fills  all  the  space  between  2  and  5  and  the  iris 
floats  in  it.  It  is  briny,  cool  and  is  rarely  the  seat  of  trouble — a  good  hint 
from  Nature  about  salt. 

5.  Anterior  capsule  of  crystalline  lens:  the  posterior  one  is  not  num- 
bered because  the  one  figure  is  enough  for  both.     They  enclose: 

6.  Crystalline  humor,  which,  while  a  liquid,  is  constructed  in  layers, 
nearly  like  an  onion.  In  the  chapter  on  physics  the  reason  for  this  will  be 
explained.     The  lens  includes  the  capsules  and  humor  and  is  held  in  position 


PHYSICAL    P011TI0N. 


17 


by  a  combination  similar  to  that  described  for  the  iris,  only  larger  and 
more  powerful,  for,  instead  of  a  hole,  as  the  iris  has,  the  lens  is  there 
to  be  operated,  its  power  being  increased  by  pressure  around  its  edge  which 
forces  shorter  radii  of  curvature.  This  function  was  intended  for  adapting 
normal  eyes  to  near  points.  Rays  from  as  far  as  twenty  feet  or  more 
distant  are  so  nearly  parallel  that  the  normal  eye  focuses  them  with  very 
slight  effort,  but  when  they  come  from  points  nearer  they  are  decidedly 
divergent,  which  forces  the  eye  to  increase  its  focal  power  if  it  would 
see  distinctly.  There  is  a  little  canal  around  the  edge  of  the  lens,  which  I 
call  a  bicycle  tire,  for  simplicity  of  illustration,  a  hollow  tube  filled  with 
liquid  which  makes  it  very  elastic,  especially  in  young  and  middle  aged 
people;  this  tire  is  attached  to  or  rather  formed  by  the  suspensory  liga- 
ments, and  pulls  against  them  almost  enough  to  overcome  them,  but  not 
quite,  so  that  the  lens  remains  at  its  lowest  power  except  when  the 
sphincter  muscle  comes  to  the  aid  of  the  tire  and  accomplishes  what  is 
called  accommodation  for  near  points.  When  the  necessity  ceases  the 
sphincter  lets  go  and  the  suspensory  ligaments  pull  the  lens  back  to  its 
original  static  or  natural  condition.  As  we  grow  older  the  tire's  contents 
shrink  so  that  it  is  no  longer  so  elastic  and  the  sphincter  muscle,  not  being 
able  to  do  all  the  work,  fails  to  focus  light  from  near  points  at  the  retina 
and  glasses  have  to  be  used  for  reading  on  eyes  which  are  otherwise  per- 
fect. As  this  is  an  incident  of  old  age,  it  is  called  presbyopia.  When 
you  see  people  who,  after  using  reading  glasses  for  a  while,  also  put  some 
on  for  improvement  of  distant  vision,  you  will  know  they  never  had  per- 
fect eyes  although  they  may  have  had  perfect  vision.  The  story  of  eyes 
"flattening"  from  old  age  is  another  doctor  story  that  isn't  true,  as  I  will 
prove  later. 

7.  Hyaloid  membrane :  a  layer  with  a  past.  It  originally  entered  the 
eye  at  "E"  as  a  canal  and  passed  straight  to  the  center  of  the  posterior 
capsule  of  the  lens,  carrying  the  material  from  which  the  lens  was  con- 
structed ;  when  that  job  was  finished  it  expanded  and  enclosed  the  vitreous 
humor,  (8),  which  fills  the  globe.  That  this  humor  is  nourished  by  way  of 
the  same  old  channel  there  can  be  no  doubt,  because  when  patients  come 
complaining  of  floating  specks  we  change  their  diet,  as  is  detailed  in  an- 
other chapter,  when  the  specks  disappear.  Those  specks  have  an  inter- 
esting story,  too. 

The  layer  next  outside  of  the  hyaloid  membrane  is  the  retina,  com- 
prising a  network  of  nerves  and  blood  vessels,  the  nerves  being  branches 
of  the  optic,  or  second  cranial.  Its  function  is  to  transmit  impressions 
to  the  brain,  and  its  structure  is  complex  microscopically,  which,  however, 
is  not  a  necessary  detail  of  this  part  of  my  story.  One  of  its  layers,  that 
of  rods  and  cones,  has  to  do  with  the  next  general  layer,  represented  by  the 
dash  lines,  which  is  of  honeycomb-like  structure,  the  cells  being  filled  with 


■i  8 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


pigment.  This  layer  is  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  and  absorbing  excessive 
light,  thus  preventing  injury  to  the  retina  which  would  interfere  with 
vision.     This  layer  also  extends  into  the  iris,  giving  it  its  color. 

The  next  layer  is  the  choroid:  it  carries  the  blood  vessels  and  nerves 
which  nourish  and  furnish  motive  power  to  the  sphincter  muscles  of  the 
ciliary  body  and  iris.  The  ciliary  body  is  composed  of  folds  of  the  choroid 
and  is  marked  "9"  in  the  illustration.  This  affords  a  hold  for  the  sus- 
pensory ligaments,  marked  "10,"  which  support  the  lens  in  its  position. 
This  drawing  shows  the  lower  half  of  a  right  eye,  as  if  it  was  bisected 
horizontally.  The  suspensory  ligaments  marked  "10,"  radiate  from  the 
edge  of  the  lens  and  are  rooted  firmly  in  the  ciliary  body. 

The  outside  layer,  extending  from  the  cornea  to  "E"  is  the  sclerotic, 
(hard),  a  layer  of  protection,  its  structure  being  fibrous  and  tough;  in  it 
are  inserted  the  six  muscles  which  control  the  motion  of  the  eyeball. 
All  of  these  muscles  have  their  origin  within  the  orbits,  the  cavities  in  the 
skull  in  which  the  eyes  are  set;  four  of  them  pass  straight  up  over,  under 
and  on  either  side  branching  out  until  they  cover  the  whole  eyeball  almost 
to  the  edge  of  the  cornea,  their  function  is  to  move  the  eyeballs ;  the  other 


! 


Fig.  12 


two  pass  forward  on  the  side  next  the  nose,  then  turn  and  pass  over  and 
under  the  globes  and  a  little  obliquely  backward.  Their  function  is  to 
prevent  the  eye  from  rolling  on  its  exis,  which  is  represented  by  the  line 
drawn  through  the  center.  This  line  is  called  the  optical  axis;  the  old 
school  books  teach  there  is  also  a  visual  axis,  which  crosses  this  one 
obliquely,  but  that  story  is  like  many  others  by  the  same  writers,  decidedly 
oblique,  as  I  will  show. 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


*9 


"E"  is  the  gateway  through  which  the  retinal  vessels  and  nerves  enter 
and  emerge.  In  all  eyes  the  space  shown  is  not  sensible  to  light  impres- 
sions because  the  retina  only  begins  at  its  edge,  hence  it  is  called  the 
"blind  spot."  Outside  of  the  space  marked  "E"  is  a  zone  in  which  the 
vessels  which  supply  the  choroid  pierce  the  sclerotic  coat,  which  has  no 
vessels  or  nerves  of  its  own.  The  spot  marked  "E"  is  on  the  inner  half 
of  the  eye,  but  is  half  way  between  the  top  and  bottom.  The  field  around 
the  posterior  pole  extending  from  the  blind  spot  to  an  equal  distance  be- 
yond the  axis  is  more  highly  sensitive  than  other  parts,  because  images 
of  all  objects  seen  clearly  are  formed  there;  this  field  has  been  considered 
important  enough  to  be  named,  so  it  was  called  "macula,"  meaning  "spot/* 
and  a  German  who  wanted  to  get  ahead  of  his  colleagues  imagined  he 
•could  distinguish  a  decidedly  yellow  color  in  it,  and  he  added  the  word 
"lutea,"  meaning  "yellow."  His  victims  adopted  his  statement  and  have 
ever  since  reiterated  the  falsehood,  thus  affording  opportunity  for  prac- 
tical students  to  see  how  little  such  writers  are  worth  as  authorities. 

Fig.  12  shows  the  relation  between  the  two  eyes  and  the  arrangement 
of  the  muscles  which  arise  from  a  cartilaginous  substance  in  the  orbits 
just  behind  the  eyes. 

i -i.     External  recti,  operated  by  6th  nerves,  turn  eyes  outward. 

2.  Inferior  rectus,  operated  by  3rd  nerves,  turns  eye  down. 

3.  Inferior  oblique,  operated  by  3rd  nerves,  prevent  eyes  rolling  in- 
ward  at  the  top  and  outward  at  bottom,  around  axes. 

4-4.  Internal  recti,  operated  by  3rd  nerves,  turn  eyes  in,  associated 
automatically  with  accommodation. 

5.  Superior  oblique,  operated  by  4th  nerves,  prevent  eyes  rolling  in- 
ward at  bottom  and  outward  at  top,  around  axes. 

6.  Superior  rectus,  operated  by  3rd  nerves,  turns  eye  up. 

7.  The  optic  or  2d  nerve,  to  the  retina. 

8.  Optic  nerve  commissure,  or  switch-yard  where  the  nerves  cross 
over  and  divide;  the  right  nerve  supplies  the  left  half  of  each  eye,  and  the 
left  nerve  the  right  half  of  each  eye;  thus  the  macula  of  the  right  eye  is 
supplied  by  the  left  nerve  and  that  of  the  left  eye  by  the  right  nerve. 

9.  Optic  nerve  sheath,  for  protection. 

The  lids  or  palpebrae,  comprise  superior  and  inferior  tarsal  cartilages, 
areolar  or  connective  tissue,  the  skin  and  the  conjunctiva. 

The  muscles  of  the  lids  are : 

Corrugator  supercillii;  3d  nerves;  draw  brows  down  and  in. 

Levator  palpebrae  superioris ;  3rd  nerves ;  lift  upper  lids. 

Orbicularis  palpebrarum ;  7th  nerves ;  close  lids. 

Tensor  tarsi ;  7th  nerves ;  press  the  edges  of  lids  to  globe,  retaining  and 
distributing  lachrymal  lubrication. 

The  meibomian  glands  traverse  the  tarsal  cartilages  and  connect  with 


20 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


ducts  to  the  free  margin  of  the  lids.  They  are  most  plentiful  in  the  upper 
lids  and  their  function  is  to  carry  off  accumulations  from  the  lachrymal 
fluid  which  penetrate  the  conjunctiva.  See  chapter  on  alleged  diseases  of 
the  eyes. 

The  lachrymal  glands  are  situated  at  the  upper  outer  angles  of  the 
orbits  and  supply  fluid  for  lubrication.  It  passes  away  through  the  lachry- 
mal canals,  at  the  inner  angles  of  the  eyes  into  the  nasal  duct.  See  chap- 
ter on  alleged  eye  diseases. 

The  blood  supply  of  the  eyes  and  lids  comes  from  the  ophthalmic 
arteries,  which  are  branches  of  the  internal  carotids,  branches  of  innomin- 
ate and  left  common  carotid,  branches  of  the  aorta,  from  the  heart.  It 
leaves  the  eyes  through  the  ophthalmic  veins  to  canals,  in  the  base  of 
the  skull,  which  connect  with  the  internal  jugular,  thence  to  the  subclavian, 
innominate,  superior  vena  cava  and  heart. 


Fig.  13 

Fig.  13  shows  how  refraction  occurs  at  the  cornea  and  at  both  surfaces 
of  the  lens.  A  is  the  principal  axis,  R  is  the  ray  approaching  from  in- 
finity parallel  with  the  axis,  P1  is  the  perpendicular  to  the  cornea,  P2  the 
perpendicular  to  the  anterior  surface  of  the  lens,  P3  the  perpendicular  to 
the  posterior  surface  of  the  lens.  Assuming  that  the  entire  eye  is  of  one 
density  and  that  equal  to  glass,  index  1.50,  the  angle  marked  1  1-2  outside 
and  the  one  marked  1  on  the  inside  would  indicate  the  course  to  be  on  the 
lower  line  to  the  retina ;  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  ray  follows  the  upper  line, 
requiring  three  calculations  to  carry  it  through  cornea  and  lens,  but  I  have 
made  both  lines  to  show  that  as  a  time  and  work  saver  the  coincidence 
is  a  happy  one,  because  either  gives  the  same  result  practically.  To  make 
the  real  course  the  angle  outside  of  the  cornea  is  to  the  one  inside  as  4 


niYsicAL  ronTrox. 


21 


is  to  3  because  the  index  of  the  cornea  and  aqueous  is  1.33  while  the  air 
is  1. 00;  then  the  angle  outside  the  lens,  in  the  aqueous,  is  to  that  in  the 
lens  as  21  is  to  20  because  1.40,  the  index  of  the  lens,  is  to  1.33,  the  index 
of  the  aqueous,  as  those  figures  are  to  each  other.  It  is  found  in  this  way : 
i'33==4/3:i4°=7/5;  reduced  to  a  common  denominator  the  former  is  20/15 
and  the  latter  21/15.  The  larger  angle  being  in  the  rarer  medium  the 
figures  reverse,  of  course.  Then  in  passing  the  posterior  surface  of  thq 
lens  the  angles  are  as  20  is  to  21,  the  larger  angle  being  in  the  vitreous 


^ 
5 


x 
I 


Fig.  14 

humor.  Make  the  drawing  on  a  scale  of  1  inch  for  the  millimeter,  accord- 
ing to  the  figures  given  on  another  page  and  the  magnification  will  make 
the  points  clear. 

This  is  called  the  static  refraction  of  the  eye  because  the  muscles 
controlling  the  lens  are  at  rest.  As  this  eye  focuses  at  the  retina  it  must 
be  emmetropic. 

The  alleged  ''old  masters/'  who  have  written  great  works  on  the  eyes, 
had  a  lot  of  idols  they  worshiped,  because,  with  them  they  were  able  to 
mystify  their  readers  into  accepting  them  as  authorities  because  they  were 


2  2  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

incomprehensible.  Fig.  14  shows  one  of  these  idols,  naked.  The  lines  O  ax 
are  the  optical  axes  because  they  pass  from  pole  to  pole  through  all  the 
nodal  points;  the  lines  V  ax  show  what  they  called  the  visual  axes.  They 
insisted  these  were  necessary  because  when  the  eyes  are  completely  at 
rest  the  optical  axes  must  be  parallel,  hence  we  would  see  double  were 
it  not  for  these  visual  axes  which  they  described  as  secondary  axes,  neces- 
sarily. Of  course  their  claim  was  purely  theoretical,  and,  had  they  given 
the  matter  a  second  thought  they  would  not  have  made  it  because  no  eye, 
emmetropic  or  hyperopic,  can  be  at  rest  absolutely  when  looking  at  a 
distance  for  the  reason  that  while,  for  the  purpose  of  illustration,  we  as- 
sume the  rays  approach  the  eyes  parallel  when  they  come  from  infinity 
they  are  really  a  trifle  divergent  and  for  the  same  reason  that  a  pair  of 
perfect  eyes  in  looking  at  a  point  40  inches  distant,  accommodate  1.00  D. 
each  and  converge  .50  each,  they  must  accommodate  for  an  80-inch  point 
.50  each  and  converge  .25  each  and  for  one  mile  each  would  have  to  accom- 
modate 1/1600  of  a  diopter  and  converge  1/3200.  In  maintaining  the  ratio 
of  .50  convergence  to  1.00  accommodation  for  all  points,  near  or  far,  it  is 
clear  that  no  separate  "visual"  axes  are  necessary,  and  if  there  were  such 
things  they  would  cause  incoordination.  Therefore  that  story  is  on  a  par 
with  the  other  one  they  tell  about  the  displaced  macula,  as  if  it  slippd  around 
like  a  disjointed  bone. 

While  we  are  breaking  idols,  let  us  smash  another.  Fig.  15  shows  the 
line  X  V  F  as  the  visual  axis ;  the  line  A  O  the  optical  axis ;  the  line  X  C 
the  "line  of  fixation;"  N  N  the  nodal  points;  the  line  N  E  the  "major 
axis  of  the  corneal  ellipsoid,"  and  C  the  center  of  rotation.  They  tell  us 
the  angl?.  formed  by  the  line  of  fixation  and  the  optical  axis  X  C  A,  is 
the  "angle  gamma,"  and  that  formed  by  the  "visual  axis"  and  the  "major 
axis,"  X  N  E,  is  the  angle  alpha.  That  was  certainly  Greek  enough  for 
the  most  exacting,  (Landolt  apologizes  for  it,  explaining  that  his  drawing 
is  "very  schematic"),  but  unfortunately  it  is  a  false  proposition  for  the 
reason  given  with  reference  to  Fig.  14  where  it  is  shown  that  there  is  no 
visual  axis  separate  from  the  optic  axis,  because  none  is  needed,  hence  the 
smashing  of  the  one  idol  kills  the  other. 

The  relation  of  accommodation  to  convergence  causes  trouble  when 
there  are  errors  in  the  dioptric  systems  of  the  eyes  bcause  the  hyperopic 
eyes  need  the  accommodation  but  not  the  convergence  for  distant  objects, 
and  they  need  more  accommodation  for  near  points  than  goes  normally 
with  the  convergence  necessary,  while  the  myopic  eyes  cannot  see  at  a 
distance  because  their  far  points  are  nearer  than  infinity,  and  when  the  ob- 
ject is  brought  near  enough  to  see  they  need  the  convergence  without  the 
accommodation  that  normally  goes  with  it,  therefore,  in  both  instances 
there  is  in-coordination.  In  the  hyperope  the  ability  to  compensate  or 
adapt  the  organs  to  the  situation  is  supplied  by  way  of  the  6th  nerves  to 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


23 


Fig:.  15 


24 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


the  external  recti  which  antagonize  the  interni  to  the  extent  of  maintaining 
parallelism  of  the  axes,  so  that  binocular  vision  is  afforded,  but  the  strain, 
on  the  nerve  supply  is  enormous.  Each  diopter  (unit)  of  accommodation 
being  accompanied  by  .50  convergence,  requires  at  least  .50  negative  pull 
via  the  6th  nerves,  making  the  total  demand  on  the  nerve  supply  2.  D. 
Thus  a  hyperope  of  1.00  D,  each  eye  has  4.  D.  strain.  Taking  one  second 
as  the  unit  of  time  measure,  4.  D.  per  second  means  240.  D.  per  minute, 
14,400.  D.  per  hour  and  230,400.  D.  per  day  of  sixteen  hours.  In  order 
to  realize  fully  what  this  means  we  must  find  out  what  the  average  demand 
is  in  the  case  of  an  ideal  person,  with  normal  eyes.  An  emmetrope,  work- 
ing at  13  inches  three  hours  daily,  which  is  a  fair  average,  would  use 
3.  D.  each  eye  for  accommodation  and  1.50  D.  each  for  convergence,  a  total 
of  9.  I>.  per  second,  540.  per  minute,  32,400.  D.  per  hour,  97,200.  D.  per 
day's  work.  At  all  other  times  the  eyes  are  practically  at  rest.  The  eyes 
receive  their  supply  from  four  and  one-third  pairs  of  nerves,  and  the  work 
figured  above  only  accounts  for  the  branches  of  the  3d  pair  which  operate 
the  ciliary  sphincters  and  the  internal  recti.  As  the  other  branches  of  the 
3d,  2d,  4th,  6th  and  the  ophthalmic  branches  of  the  5th  have  comparatively 
nothing  to  do,  and  as  we  are  unable  to  measure  what  they  do,  we  think 
it  reasonable  to  grant  them  enough  to  make  the  above  figure  100,000,  hence 
we  charge  2,800.  D.  for  them.  Now,  as  these  four  and  one-third  pairs  are 
36  per  cent,  of  the  entire  number  of  cranial  nerves  and  10  per  cent,  of 
the  entire  number  in  the  body,  and  as  any  other  four  and  one-third 
pairs  /will  show  one  or  two  doing  the  chief  work,  we  conclude  it  is 
not  unreasonable  to  estimate  the  proportion  throughout,  and; 
multiplying  100,000.  D.  by  10  gives  a  grand  total  of  1,000,000  D.  daily  as 
the  average  needs  of  the  entire  system,  hence  we  assume  that  to  be  the 
average  capacity.  Of  course  overdrafts  may  be  made  occasionally  without 
danger,  but  the  constant  drain  caused  by  1.  D.  hyperopia  shows  a  daily 
excess  demand  of  over  23  per  cent,  and  for  the  purpose  of  easy  calculation 
we  call  it  24  per  cent.  Thus  1.50  D.  hyperopia  would  mean  36  per  cent, 
excess;  2.  D.,  48  per  cent.;  3.  D.,  72  per  cent.;  4.  D.,  96  per  cent.  Above 
that  there  is  comparatively  little  strain,  because  the  demand  is  so  great 
there  is  little  effort,  except  for  brief  periods.  But  we  do  find,  as  a  rule, 
such  cases  are  dull  mentally,  although  quite  hearty  physically.  When 
we  know  that  hyperopic  eyes  are  the  only  organs  in  the  body  that  can 
overcome  their  own  defects,  it  is  plain  that  the  strain  must  be  a  factor  in 
all  the  functional  derangements  such  people  suffer  from.  If  they  are 
astigmatic  it  is  all  the  worse,  because  there  is  a  constant  effort  to  over- 
come that  fault  by  accommodation  and  it  cannot  be  done  because  that 
effort  affects  all  meridians  alike,  the  astigmatic  error  being  in  the  cornea 
and  the  accommodation  in  the  lens.  No  point  being  made  on  the  retina  by 
the  effort,  it  is  much  like  trying  to  climb  a  greased  pole — lots  of  work  but 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


25 


little  result.  This  is  why  astigmatism  causes  more  headaches  than  simple 
hyperopia  does.  If  the  astigmatic  error  is  as  much  as  2.  D.  or  more,  it 
causes  less  trouble  than  the  smaller  amounts  because  vision  is  so  bad  there 
is  little  attempt  to  improve  it. 

Our  critics,  referring  to  the  nerve  strain  calculation,  say:  "According 
to  your  own  figures  only  9.72  per  cent,  is  actual  measure  and  the  rest  is 
estimate."  Yes,  but  taking  the  eyes  alone,  97.2  per  cent,  is  actual  measure 
and  all  of  the  hyperopic  strain  is  actual  measure,  while  the  estimated  part 
is  applied  equally  to  both,  so  that  by  the  law  of  ratios  the  conclusion  is 
exact  and  must  yield  the  same  results  no  matter  by  what  system  the  cal- 
culation is  made.  The  neurometer  was  based  on  this  calculation  and  it 
works*     Our  clinical  analyses  are  based  on  these  figures  and  they  work. 

The  hyperope,  because  of  the  constant  activity  of  his  accommodation 
develops  remarkable  strength  in  that  department,  even  while  sacrificing 
other  functions,  and  he  naturally  notices  the  disturbance  elsewhere  before 
he  does  in  his  eyes,  because  the  extra  current  of  energy  only  makes  the 
eyes    perform    their    functions    normally    while    other    sphincter    systems 
throughout  the  body,  which  are  normal,  receive  the  extra  current  too,  and 
it  makes  them  overdo  their  work,  with  the  result  that  there  will  be  inter- 
ference with  the  circulation  of  blood,  there  will  be  constipation,  bladder 
troubles,  the  heart,  stomach,  lungs  and  muscular  action  generally  will  be 
insufficient  or  hypersufficient,  and  women  will  suffer  from  menstrual  de- 
rangements.    But  these  are  not  all.     The  supply  of  energy  in  the  cere- 
bellum being  depleted,   there  will  'be   a  deficiency  in  the   acid   reactions 
in  the  stomach  and  elsewhere,   the  blood-making  and   cleansing  organs 
will  fail  for  chemical,  as  well  as  mechanical  reasons,  and  then  the  whole 
body  is  subject  to  any  or  all  the  disorders  flesh  is  supposed  to  be  heir  to. 
The  abnormal  strength  of  accommodation  is  also  a  source  of  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  the  doctor  who  attempts  to  analyze  the  case,  part  of  which  analysis 
is   measuring  the   amount   of   the   hyperopia,   hence   the   necessity   for   a 
method  of  procedure  which  will  enable  him  to  overcome  or  circumvent 
spasms,  tonic  or  clonic. 

The  need  of  such  method  is  not  limited  to  the  hyperope,  for  the  myope 
often  has  spasms  from  the  incoordination  of  accommodation  and  con- 
vergence at  near  points,  although  his  nerve  strain  is  not  great  enough  to 
set  up  other  functional  disturbances.  A  myope  of  2.  D.  will  rarely  read 
farther  away  than  six  or  eight  inches,  although,  theoretically,  he  should 
read  at  twenty  inches.  The  reason  is  that  when  he  holds  a  paper  at 
thirteen  inches  the  convergence  is  necessarily  1.50  D.  in  each  eye;  this 
brings  with  it  automatically  3.  D.  accommodation,  which,  added  to  his 
myopia  makes  his  dioptric  system  5.  IX,  requiring  the  object  to  be  at  eight 
inches.  When  it  puts  it  there  the  eyes  must  converge  5.  D.,  or  2.50  each 
and  this  brings  5.  D.  accommodation  in  each  eye,  which,  added  to  his 


26  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

myopia  makes  7.  D.  and  puts  the  first  conjugate  focus  at  five  and  one-half 
inches.  By  this  time  his  accommodation,  which  is  not  so  vigorous  as 
the  hyperope's,  becomes  exhausted  and  there  is  a  harmony  of  accommoda- 
tion and  convergent  points.  But  all  this  tends  to  make  the  accom- 
modation active  enough  to  fool  any  one  who  does  not  understand  the 
physics  and  physiology  of  the  proposition.  Old  time  opticians  fitted 
such  people  by  having  them  hold  a  newspaper  as  far  from  the  face 
as  they  could  and  read  a  line,  then  measuring  the  distance  in  inches 
and  giving  the  number  corresponding.  They  wondered  why  the  purchaser 
returned  complaining,  but  weakened  the  lenses  time  after  time  until  they 
found  comfortable  ones.  If  their  patrons  developed  stomach  trouble  and 
headaches  later  they  never  thought  the  eyes  had  anything  to  do  with  it, 
nor  did  the  wearers,  who  went  to  the  doctors  for  medicine.  Later  in  life 
they  found  they  could  see  better  with  weaker  glasses  and  could  see  at  a 
greater  distance  with  their  naked  eyes,  hence  the  idea  that  the  eyes  flat- 
ten with  age.  This  was  corroborated,  apparently,  by  the  fact  that  hyper- 
opes,  who  never  wore  glasses  for  distance  until  long  after  they  had  used 
them  for  reading,  finally  found  they  could  use  convex  glasses  to  advantage 
for  distance.  This  was  because  their  accommodation  could  no  longer  over- 
come their  defect.  Even  to-day  some  oculists  will  insist  the  eyes  do  flatten 
with  age.  There  are  also  people  who  declare  the  earth  is  flat.  The  myope 
described  above  would  have  been  given  —  6.  to  begin  with  and  gradually 
reduced  to  —  2.50  or  3.  when  he  would  have  still  been  hyperopic  .50  to  1, 
and  suffering  nerve  strain,  where  before  he  only  lacked  vision.  An  inter- 
esting test  for  such  cases  is  to  have  a  real  myope,  or  a  hyperope  made 
myopic  by  over-correction  with  +  5.  or  6.  D.  spheres,  hold  a  paper  as  far 
from  his  face  as  he  can  read,  then  interpose  a  pair  of  5  or  6-degree  prisms, 
bases  in,  and  note  how  much  farther  he  can  extend  the  paper,  thus  proving 
that  accommodation  is  automatic  with  convergence,  because  when  the 
prisms  stop  the  necessity  for  convergence  the  accommodation  lets  go  too. 
One  of  the  infirmities  of  age  is  a  loss  of  accommodative  power,  because 
the  lens  is  held  in  suspension  and  at  its  static  condition  by  a  lot  of  straight 
ligaments  which  are  almost  overcome,  in  early  life,  by  the  antagonism  of 
the  bicycle-tire  arrangement  surrounding  the  lens,  so  that  comparatively 
little  nerve  force  is  required,  but  as  this  tire  loses  its  elasticity,  from  shrink- 
age of  contents,  it  leaves  more  work  for  the  nerves  than  they  can  do,  hence 
the  need  of  glasses  for  near  work,  even  for  emmetropic  eyes.  This  is  pres- 
byopia. It  is  called  total  when  the  person  accepts  a  lens  equal  to  the  full 
measure  of  the  distance  he  works;  thus  if  +  2.50  is  accepted  for  work  at 
sixteen  inches  he  would  be  totally  presbyopic,  because  he  would  never  need 
any  stronger  glasses  for  that  distance.  This  would  be  called  total  pres- 
byopia even  if  he  could  read  at  eleven  inches  with  the  same  lenses  thus 
exhibiting  1.  D.  accommodation.  An  emmetrope  sixty  years  old  would  do 
that,  and  a  hyperope  of  1.  D.  seventy  years  old  would  do  it. 


LIGHT  AND  REFRACTION 

Elementary  Laws  Which  Reveal  the  Breadth  and  Comprehen- 
siveness of  Nature. 

Everything,  to  our  minds,  educated  by  finite  things,  must  have  a 
beginning — and  an  end.  Therefore,  let  us  imagine  that  there  was  a  begin- 
ning to  this  universe;  that  it  is  the  effect  of  a  cause.  It  is  a  well-settled 
proposition,  except  among  fanatics,  that  we  shall  never  conceive  in  what 
form,  if  any,  that  cause  existed  or  exists,  other  than  as  we  refer  to  it 
as  an  infinite  mind,  instead  of  as  a  person.  To  me  the  law,  as  exhibited 
in  its  effects,  is  far  more  magnificient  than  an  individual  could  be  possibly. 

It  is  our  privilege  to  study  the  laws,  if  we  will,  independently  of  ac- 
cepted authorities ;  and  when  we  see  how  far  some  have  strayed  from  facts, 
which  came  to  light  after  their  theories  were  exploited,  we  are  admonished 
to  avail  ourselves  of  the  privilege. 

As  the  refraction  of  light  is  one  of  thei  primary  laws  by  which  neurol- 
ogy is  expounded  in  this  work,  it  is  necessary  to  define  light  and  I  choose 
the  following  hypothesis  as  a  beginning : 


Fig.  16 

Let  Fig.  1 6  represent  the  universe,  the  large  central  field  the  sun, 
the  small  dots  the  planets.     In  the  operation  of  the  chemical  laws  com- 


28 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


bination  and  disintegration,  attraction  and  repulsion,  form  and  motion  were 
produced.  Within  a  certain  space  the  positive  and  negative  qualities  of 
each  planet  are  supreme,  so  they  maintain  their  respective  distances  from 
each  other,  yet  there  is  one  grand  center  about  which  they  all  revolve.  The 
chemical  products,  or  the  friction  from  motion,  or  both,  generates  what  is 
known  as  electricity.  First  the  centripetal  effect  is  to  overcharge  the 
center,  when  a  centrifugal  reaction  obtains  and  we  have  the  duality  com- 
plete in  positive  and  negative  magnetic  currents.  The  lines  in  the  figure 
show  only  the  negative  ones,  that  is,  those  from  the  sun,  and  only  a  few  of 
them.  The  sun  being  as  large  in  comparison  with  the  planets  as  the  cen- 
ter field  is  larger  than  the  dots  it  is  easy  to  see  how  these  currents  reach 
all  the  planets,  all  the  time,  except  when  occasionally  one  planet  gets  in 
the  way  of  another  enough  to  shut  off  the  currents  from  a  small  portion  for 
a  short  time,  as  is  illustrated  by  eclipses.  This  electricity  reaches  us  in 
the  form  of  a  luminous  force  and  not  only  enables  us  to  see  objects  not 
luminous  themselves,  but  it  also  vitalizes  the  earth,  making  it  habitable 
and  oroductive. 

Some  writers  have  asserted  that  there  is  no  such  a  thing  in  nature 
as  a  convergent  ray.  I  concede  the  point  and  assert  further  that  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  a  divergent  ray.  It  requires  two  or  more  rays  to  exhibit 
convergence  or  divergence,  and  when  we  have  a  multitude,  as  we  have 
from  the  sun,  there  are  both  convergence  and  divergence,  as  is  shown  in 
the  figure.  Of  course  when  we  look  at  a  small  object  some  distance  away 
the  rays  we  receive  in  the  pupil  of  the  eye  are  divergent  from  each  other 
as  they  radiate  from  the  same  points;  but  as  the  pupil  is  only  about  one- 
eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter  the  rays  enter  it  so  nearly  parallel  that  they 
are  assumed  to  be  exactly  so  in  our  calculations. 

Refraction  is  the  deviation  in  its  course  a  ray  of  light  suffers  in  pass- 
ing obliquely  from  one  transparent  medium  to  another  of  different  density. 

The  amount  of  refraction  is  governed  by  a  duality,  the  angle  of  inci- 
dence and  density  of  medium ;  it  is  measured  according  to  natural  laws. 


Let  the  line  R  S,  Fig.  17,  represent  a  ray  of  light  passing  obliquely 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


29 


through  air;  it  suffers  no  change  in  its  course  at  the  line  C  D,  because 
there  is  no  change  in  the  density;  therefore,  the  angles  1  and  2  formed 
by  the  ray  with  the  line  A  B,  are  of  equal  size.  Air  being  the  medium 
through  which  all  light  comes  before  it  can  pass  any  other,  and  being  the 
rarest  of  all,  it  is  taken  as  the  standard  or  unit  of  density,  that  is,  of  resist- 
ance to  the  passage  of  light,  and  all  other  mediums  are  compared  with 
it,  the  ratio  they  bear  to  it  respectively  is  called  their  index  of  refraction. 
The  first  thing  required  for  the  purpose  of  measurement  of  the 
amount  of  refraction  is  a  line  drawn  perpendicular  (at  right  angles)  to 
the  surface  under  consideration.  If  the  surface  is  horizontal,  the  perpen- 
dicular will  be  vertical;  if  the  surface  is  oblique  the  perpendicular  will 
also  be  oblique.  An  easy  way  to  locate  the  perpendicular  is  to  make  the 
point  where  the  ray  strikes  the  second  medium  the  center  of  a  circle  and 
put  the  perpendicular  go  degrees  from  the  surface.  Thus,  if  the  surface 
is  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees  the  perpendicular  will  be  at  135  degrees.  Or 
if  the  surface  is  at  120  degrees  the  perpendicular  will  be  at  30  degrees.  All 
degrees  are  numbered  from  the  horizontal  and  begin  at  the  right.  All 
measurements  are  at  right  angles  to  the  perpendiculars  and  as  the  denser 
the  medium  the  slower  the  speed  and  the  rarer  the  medium  the  greater 
the  speed  at  which  the  ray  travels  it  follows  that  in  measuring  angles  we 
must  reverse  the  figures,  therefore,  if  we  bear  in  mind  that  we  have  only 
two  sizes  of  angles  and  the  small  one  is  always  in  the  denser  of  the  two 
mediums  it  will  be  easy  to  master  the  very  necessary  preliminary  work 
quickly. 


&U  LOO 


ffattr  Hit 


d^  Im 


Fig.  18 


\ 


Fig.  18  shows  what  would  occur  if  a  ray  from  R  should  come  in  con- 
tact with  a  body  of  water  at  the  point  where  it  crosses  the  line  A.       Its 


30  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

course  would  be  changed,  for  the  reason  that  its  movement  is  swifter  in 
the  rare  medium,  and,  its  lower  side,  meeting  the  obstruction  first,  would 
be  retarded  in  its  progress,  while  the  upper  side  would  continue  its  speed, 
thus  gaining  on  the  other,  so  that  the  course  of  the  ray  through  the  denser 
medium  would  be  toward  D  instead  of  in  the  direction  C.  As  it  passes 
obliquely  through  the  water,  it  will  be  seen  the  lower  side  would  be 
released  first,  and,  renewing  its  original  pace,  would  gain  on  the  other  side, 
recovering  what  it  had  lost  at  the  first  surface,  and  would  pass  toward  E, 
parallel  to,  but  not  on  the  line  of  its  original  course.. 

From  the  amount  of  deviation  as  shown  by  the  proportions  of  the 
angles  formed  in  the  two  mediums,  we  learn  the  relative  density,  for  4  is  to 
3  as  1.33  1-3  is  to  1. 00,  therefore  the  index  of  refraction  of  water  is  133  1-3. 
If  we  substitute  glass  for  water  we  would  have  angles  proportioned  as  3 
is  to  2,  hence  the  index  of  glass  is  1.50.  If  we  could  substitute  diamond  the 
angles  would  be  as  5  is  to  2,  hence  the  index  of  diamond  is  2.50. 

According  to  its  index  of  refraction  water  would  cause  the  ray  to 
change  its  course  so  that  the  angle  formed  by  the  ray  and  the  vertical  line 
at  3  would  be  in  proportion  to  that  formed  by  the  ray  and  vertical  line 
at  the  same  distance  4  above  the  first  surface,  as  1  is  to  1.33  1-3. 

The  same  law  applies  in  passing  from  the  dense  to  the  rare  medium, 
below,  the  angle  at  4  below  being  133  1-3  times  as  great  at  that  at  32. 

A  ray  is  called  incident  before  jt  enters  the  denser  medium,  refracted 
during  its  passage  and  emergent  after  it  has  passed. 

The  angle  formed  by  the  incident  ray  and  the  vertical  line  A,  is  called 
the  angle  of  incidence ;  that  formed  by  the  refracted  ray  and  the  same  line, 
the  angle  of  refraction;  and  that  formed  by  the  emergent  ray  and  the  line 
x,  the  angle  of  emergence. 

A  ray,  in  making  a  passage  as  illustrated,  suffers  the  loss  of  a  portion 
by  reflection  at  the  first  surface,  and  it  is  a  law  of  optics  that  the  angle  of 
reflection  always  equals  the  angle  of  incidence,  hence  it  follows  that  the 
reflected  portion  would  pass  toward  F  forming  another  angle  with  the 
line  A,  called  the  angle  of  reflection. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  angles  of  emergence  and  incidence  are  of 
equal  size;  therefore,  a  ray  starting  at  E,  would  pursue  the  same  course, 
and  R  would  be  the  emergent  ray,  which  fact  gives  us  another  law,  viz.: 
The  course  of  returning  rays  is  always  upon  the  same  lines  on  which 
they  enter. 

If  an  incident  ray  forms  an  angle  with  the  perpendicular  greater  thar1 
about  fifty  degrees  it  will  suffer  total  reflection.  This  is  called  the  limit 
angle. 

Fig.  19  illustrates  the  first  essentials  of  refraction.  Understand,  the 
word  means  "to  break."  Rays  passing  obliquely  from  one  transparent 
medium  to  another  of  different  density  suffer  refraction.     But  they  must 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


31 


Fig.  19 

not  approach  at  too  great  an  angle  or  they  will  suffer  total  reflection. 
Rays  on  the  lines  "P1"  and  "P2"  would  pass  straight  through  the  glass  be- 
cause they  strike  its  surfaces  perpendicularly.  As  the  density  of  the  air 
is  only  i.oo  while  glass  is  1.50  (it  is  really  about  1.53,  but  we  use  the  1.50 
because  it  is  easier  to  make  the  calculations  clear  to  the  student  and  the 
principle  is  shown  as  well),  it  follows  that  the  ray  will  pass  through 
the  air  faster  than  through  the  glass,  hence  to  get  the  comparative  rate  of 
speed  in  the  two  mediums  we  reverse  the  figures,  giving  air  the  1.50  and 
glass  the  1.00.  Then  one  inquires  what  becomes  of  the  quantity  of  light 
indicated  by  the  figures  as  approaching  the  glass,  greater  than  its  evident 
capacity  to  receive.  It  is  reflected  as  perpendicularly  as  the  ray  strikes. 
But  when  a  ray  strikes  obliquely,  as  the  line  R,  the  reflected  portion  takes 
a  direction  as  oblique  as  the  ray  approached  and  on  the  other  side  of  the 
perpendicular.  The  amount  lost  by  reflection  increases  as  the  angle  of 
approach  increases  until  the  limit  angle  is  reached,  which  is  about  fifty 
degrees  from  the  perpendicular,  at  the  points  marked  40  and  140,  when 
total  reflection  occurs.  The  ray  R,  called  the  incident  ray,  forms  an  angle, 
A,  with  the  perpendicular  and  it  is  called  the  angle  of  incidence.  Imagine 
there  is  nothing  shown  but  the  two  mediums,  the  line  R,  the  perpendicular 
and  the  line  A.  As  the  index  figure  of  glass  is  three  halves  while  that  of 
air  is  only  two,  and  as  the  speed  of  the  ray  in  the  air  is  the  greater,  we 
know  the  angle  must  be  also,  hence  we  take  the  measure  where  it  is 
easiest,   that   is,   where   it   measures    three   points;    (a   point   may   be   a 


32  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

millimeter,  an  eighth  of  an  inch,  or  any  other  unit  one  chooses  for  a  cal- 
culation);  then   go   the   same   distance   below   the    surface   of   the   glass, 
B±  and  measure  two  points,  because  that  represents  the  relative  speed  in 
the  glass  and  the  relative  size  of  the  angle  therein;  then  draw  the  line 
R  from  surface  to  surface  of  the  glass  past  the  end  of  the  line  B1,  this  is 
the  refracted  ray  and  the  angle  B1,  is  the  angle  of  refraction.     Now  im- 
agine the  line  P2  has  just  been  drawn  perpendicular  to  the  lower  surface 
of  the  glass  where  the  ray  strikes ;  we  know  the  small  angle  is  in  the  glass 
so  we  measure  B2,  two  points,  then  go  as  far  on  the  other  side  of  the 
surface  and  measure  three  points  at  C,  then  continue  the  ray  from  where 
we  left  it  at  the  lower  surface,  toward  E.     This  is  the  emergent  ray  and 
the  angle  formed  by  it  with  the  perpendicular  is  the  angle  of  emergence. 
Note  that  a  ray,  whether  refracted  or  reflected,  always  crosses  the  per- 
pendicular; that  the  angle  A  is  to  B1  as  3  is  to  2,  and  the  angle  B2  is  to 
C  as  2  is  to  3.     The  great  angle  is  always  in  the  rarest  medium,  therefore 
if  we  know  the  index  figures  of  the  two  mediums  we  can  find  where  a  ray 
will  go.     The  angle  of  reflection  is  always  equal  in  size  to  the  angle  of 
incidence.     The  ray  R  starts  toward  1,  is  broken  at  the  first  surface  and 
takes  direction  of  2,  is  broken  at  second  surface  and  takes  final  course  to 
E.     The  reason  a  ray  suffers  refraction  is  that  as  it  approaches  obliquely 
the  lower  side  of  it  strikes  the  slow  speed  first  and  as  it  leaves  the  denser 
medium  the  lower  side  resumes  the  rapid  speed  first.     This  is  why  in 
entering  a  denser  medium  the  ray  is  broken  toward     the     perpendicular 
and  in  leaving  is  broken  from  the  perpendicular.     The  dot  in  the  middle  of 
the  refracted  section  is  to  show  that  if  it  were  the  luminous  point  from 
which  rays  started  the  one  directed  upward  and  that  directed  downward 
would  strike  the  respective  surfaces  at  the  same  angles,  hence  the  angle  of 
incidence,  A,  and  the  angle  of  emergence,  C,  are  of  equal  size.     But  this  is 
not  always  true,  except  in  plane  surfaces. 

The  points  of  particular  interest  in  connection  with  this  illustration 
are: 

First.  An  oblique  ray,  passing  from  one  transparent  medium  to  an- 
other of  different  density  suffers  a  change  in  its  path,  but  not  in  its  general 
direction. 

Second.  The  denser  the  medium  the  slower  the  rate  of  speed  of 
the  ray. 

Third.  The  reflected  portion  passes  away  at  the  same  angle  the  ray 
approached. 

Fourth.     The  small  angle  is  always  in  the  denser  medium. 
Fifth.     There  is  a  duality  of  mediums,  a  duality  of  connecting  sur- 
faces, a  duality  of  perpendiculars  and  a  duality  of  indices. 

Sixth.     There  is  a  positive  refraction  as  the  ray  enters  the  denser 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


33 


medium  and  a  negative  refraction  as  it  leaves;  that  is,  the  ray  is  broken 
toward  the  perpendicular  on  entering  and  from  it  on  leaving. 

Seventh.  There  is  a  double  duality  of  sections  of  the  ray,  incident, 
reflected,  refracted  and  emergent,  and  corresponding  angles  formed  by  the 
sections  and  the  perpendiculars. 

Eighth.     A  ray  suffers  reflection,  refraction,  dispersion  and  absorption. 

Ninth.  The  density  of  the  glass  compared  with  air  is  as  1.50  is  to  1.00, 
therefore,  the  angles  in  the  air  are  always  one-half  larger  than  in  the  glass, 
and,  being  given  one  we  can  always  find  the  other. 

Ten,th.  The  comparative  angles  are  always  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
perpendicular,  as  they  are  on  opposite  sides  of  the  connecting  surfaces  of 
the  mediums. 

Eleventh.  The  amount  lost  by  reflection  gradually  increases  until  the 
limit-angle  is  reached,  when  the  ray  is  totally  reflected. 

Twelfth.  The  limit-angle,  where  total  reflection  occurs,  symbolizes 
one's  limit  of  endurance,  of  patience,  of  capacity,  etc.,  metaphysically  and 
physically. 


1 

) 

> 

1 
1 

1    % 
ait/" 

1/ 

yT 

Wo&l  l<H  '!> 

v/ 

PC 

&l*U  /So 

// 

1 

ISO 

s/  A 

V      0/  — 1 

a 

*,I.W 

Fig,  20 


In  order  to  make  indices  clearer,  Fig.  20  is  given  at  the  risk  of  confus- 
ing the  student.     Here  the  ray,  R,  starts  toward  S  but  is  refracted  by 


34  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

several  mediums  and  finally  passes  away  on  the  line  O.  The  indices  given 
are  all  in  comparison  with  air,  so  that  in  the  refraction  which  occurs 
as  the  ray  passes  from  water  to  glass  and  from  glass  to  diamond,  we 
must  find  the  relation  they  bear  to  each  other,  which  is  easy  because 
all  we  have  to  do  is  to  find  the  ratio  the  figures  given  bear  to  each 
other;  thus  1.33  1-3=4-3  and  1-50=3-2;  then  multiplying  the  denominators 
to  get  the  common  denominator,  we  get  6;  as  4-3=8-6  and  3-2=9-6,  the 
relation  between  water  and  glass  is  as  8  to  9,  and  if  8  is  100  per  cent, 
9  is  1. 1 2  1-2  per  cent,  hence  the  last  figure  is  the  index  of  glass  when  com- 
pared with  water.  The  figures  for  glass  being  1.50=3-2  and  for  diamond 
2.50=5-2,  there  is  already  a  common  denominator,  and  they  bear  the  rela- 
tion of  3  to  5;  if  3  is  100  per  cent,  5  is  1.66  2-3  per  cent,  and  is  the  index 
of  diamond  compared  with  glass.  The  lengths  of  lines  in  the  cut  bear  out 
the  respective  indices  in  their  proportion  to  each  other.  The  line  4  is 
to  3  as  1.33  1-3  is  to  1.00;  the  line  9  is  to  8  as  1.50  is  to  1.33  1-3;  the  line 
5  is  to  3  as  2.50  is  to  1.50;  the  line  1  is  to  2  1-2  as  1.00  is  to  2.50.  The  ver- 
tical lines  1,  2,  3,  4  are  the  perpendiculars  to  the  surfaces  where  refrac- 
tions occur. 


Fig.  21 

Fig.  21  shows  how  to  find  the  index  of  a  medium  if  both  the  incident 
and  refracted  sections  and  the  index  of  the  rare  medium  are  given.  Know- 
ing that  the  index  of  air  is  1.00  all  that  need  be  done  is  to  erect  the  per- 
pendicular, P,  measure  the  angle  at  1  and  go  as  far  outside  the  globe, 
along  the  line  P,  as  the  first  angle  is  inside,  measure  the  angle  at  2,  which, 
being  2.22  times  as  great  as  1,  proves  the  index  of  such  a  medium  would 
be  2.22. 

A  globe  of  glass,  with  1.50  index  focuses  beyond  itself,  as  is  shown  in 
Fig.  22. 

If  the  globe  were  a  diamond  the  focus  would  be  as  shown  by  the 
dotted  lines,  Fig.  22,  the  angle  of  incidence  21-2  and  angle  of  refraction  1. 
I  do  not  like  to  make  one  drawing  tell  too  many  things,  but  it  is  not 
desired  to  give  too  much  prominence  to  practically  useless  features,  which, 
nevertheless,  are  valuable  theoretically. 


PHYSICAL     POKTIOX. 


35 


Fig.  23  shows  what  happens  to  a  ray  in  passing  a  prism.  In  Figs. 
19  and  20,  the  surfaces  were  parallel,  so  that  had  rays  approached  perpen- 
dicular to  the  first  surface,,  they  would  have  also  been  perpendicular  to 
the  second  and  would  have  passed  through  without  refraction.  By  this 
figure  it  will  be  seen  no  ray  can  pass  without  refraction,  for  if  it  came  to 

r 


Fig 


the  first  surface  at  a  perpendicular  it  would  be  refracted  by  the  second 
surface,  because  it  is  not  parallel  with  the  first.  A  ray  starting  from  A 
toward  C  would  be  refracted  by  the  first  surface  toward  2,  and  by  the 
second  surface  toward  B ;  and  a  ray  starting  from  B  toward  O  would  first 
be  changed  to  the  direction  X,  then  toward  A.  Thus  an  eye  at  A  would 
see  at  C  an  object  really  situated  at  B,  and  an  eye  at  B  would  see  at  O 
an  object  really  located  at  A.  Rays  are  always  refracted  toward  the  base 
of  a  prism  and  objects  seen  through  a  prism  always  appear  nearer  the  apex. 


Fig.  23 

As  there  is  no  transparent  material  having  the  index  indicated  by  Fig. 
21  and  as  glass  would  only  focus  as  shown  by  Fig.  22,  if  we  wanted  a 
glass  apparatus  that  would  focus  at  its  posterior  pole  we  would  have  to 
make  the  anterior  curvature  from  the  center  C,  Fig.  24,  instead  of  from  the 
center,  N,  thus  making  up  in  angle  of  incidence  what  is  lacking  in  density. 
The  refraction  of  R1  having  been  measured,  and  the  surface  being  spher- 
ical, we  know  where  R2  would  go  without  measuring. 


36 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


These  apparent  objects  are  called  virtual  objects  because  we  do  not 
see  the  real  thing.  As  a  matter  of  strict  fact  all  who  wear  glasses  only- 
see  virtual  objects,  for  convex  lenses  magnify  and  concave  ones  minify. 


Fig.  24 

This  is  compensated  for,  however,  by  the  facts  that  those  who  need  convex 
lenses  have  eyes  that  do  not  magnify  as  much  as  normal  ones  and  those 
who  need  concave  lenses  have  eyes  that  magnify  more  than  normal,  thus 
nature  takes  care  of  her  children.  In  figure  22  the  lines  P1  and  P2  are 
perpendicular  to  the  surfaces,  and  the  lines  N  N  and  K  K  show  where  the 
angles  were  measured. 


Fig-  25 


Fig.  26 

Prisms  in  multitudinous  quantities  form  all  lenses  of  every  descrip- 
tion. If  placed  bases  together  as  shown  in  Fig.  25,  there  will  be  posi- 
tive effects,  hence  such  lenses  are  known  as  +.  If  the  prisms  are  reversed 
as  shown  in  Fig.  26,  the  effects  are  negative,  hence  lenses  having  this 
general  form  are  known  as  — . 

Observe  in  both  Figs.  25  and  26  the  central  lines  pass  through  without 
refraction;  this  is  because  the  two  surfaces  are  in  such  relative  position 
that  they  are  parallel  at  these  lines  and  the  rays,  being  perpendicular,  pass 
without  refraction;  hence  the  lines  are  called  axes  and  the  rays  are  axial 
rays. 

Note  in  Fig.  25  that  while  parallel  rays  meet  on  the  axis  after  passing 


PHYSICAL    PORTION-. 


37 


the  prism,  they  do  not  meet  at  a  point  common  to  all.  In  order  to  utilize 
the  principles  of  refraction  for  optical  purposes  it  is  necessary  to  grind 
curved  surfaces  so  that  there  will  be  the  effects  of  a  multitude  of  prisms 
of  different  angles  in  order  there  may  be  at  least  approximately  one  focal 
point  for  all  rays  that  come  parallel  with  the  axis  or  divergent  from  the 
same  given  points  on  the  axis.  If  the  rays  approach  parallel  with  the  axis 
they  meet  at  the  nearest  possible  point  on  the  axis  after  passing  the  lens ; 
this  is  called  the  principal  focus. 

P 


Fig.  27 

In  Fig.  27,  R  and  R  approach  parallel  to  the  axis  but  at  different  dis- 
tances from  it,  but  the  angles  A  and  B  bear  the  same  relation  to  each 
other  in  both  instances  and  the  result  is  that  the  rays  focus  at  the  same 
point  on  the  axis.  Observe  that  the  lower  set  of  angles  are  longer  from 
base  to  apex  than  the  upper  ones,  because  the  upper  ray  strikes  the  sharper 
curvature.  The  fact  that  the  curvature  would,  if  continued,  form  a  per- 
fect sphere,  caused  the  name  spherical  to  be  given  such  lenses.  They  may 
be  either  convex  or  concave,  and  each  class  is  subject  to  three  forms  of 
construction  as  shown  in  Fig.  28. 


Fig.  28 

Fig.  28  illustrates  the  positive  (+)  and  negative  ( — )  structure  of 
spherical  lenses,  one  set  is  cut  from  the  globes  and  one  set  so  that  globes 
would  fit  in  them.  Particular  attention  is  directed  to  understanding  the 
little  essentials,  which,  I  have  found  in  school  work,  are  often  neglected. 
Fig.  29  shows  edge  views  of  lenses  corresponding  to  Fig.  28. 


3§ 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


These  are  the  popular  forms,  but  there  are  many  others  embodying 
the  same  principles,  such  as  the  lenticulars,  as  they  are  called,  for  which 
a  piece  of  plane  glass  is  used  to  get  the  size,  and  in  the  center  a  small  space 


Fig.  29 

is  ground  to  desired  curvatures  in  —  and  for  +  a  small  piece  is  cemented 
on.  Fig.  30  shows  first  the  front,  then  the  edge  views  of  such  lenses. 
Then  there  are  lenses  ground  like  Fig.  30  on  +  lenses  1,  2,  3,  Fig.  29,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  strong  lenses  without  the  thick  edges  of  4,  5  and  6, 
Fig.  29.  Then  there  are  alleged  toric  lenses  and  real  torics  and  sphero 
torics.  The  American  standard  periscopic  or  meniscus  lenses  are  ground 
with  fixed  amount  of  concavity  on  one  side  and  with  enough  convexity  on 
the  other  to  give  the  desired  focal  power.    During  the  past  few  years  opti- 


^ss^ss^ 


tyM%MM^<y<r2:  ™y?s2:?/-/ss"/s  ■//)}/'/.■>■» 


Fig.    30 

cians  who  are  not  content  with  reasonable  prices  for  ordinary  lenses, 
foisted  upon  gullible  people,  including  some  oculists,  what  they  call  a  toric 
lens,  but  which  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  deep  concavity  on  one  side  of 
a  meniscus.  They  are  not  only  of  no  benefit,  but  are  really  harmful,  because 
they  intensify  spherical  and  chromatic  aberration  in  the  stronger  numbers, 
and  oculists  who  endorse  them  advertise  their  culpable  ignorance  of  op- 
tical principles  and  physical  laws  generally.  Before  explaining  the  toric 
lens  I  must  give  some  preliminary  facts: 

Chemically  glass  belongs  to  the  class  called  salts.  Common  glass  is 
made  by  melting  together  silica,  (sand),  calcium  carbonate,  (limestone), 
and  sodium  carbonate,  (soda).  If  potassium  be  substituted  for  sodium, 
and  lead  for  calcium,  the  quality  is  finer;  in  other  words  the  finer  the 
material  used  the  better  the  product.  Flint  is  clearer  than  crown  glass 
because  there  is  more  lead  in  its  composition,  but  it  is  softer,  which  gives 
it  a  peculiar  quality  to  be  described.. 

It  is  well  known  that  natural  light  is  composed  by  a  combination  of 
all  the  spectral  colors.     The  passage  of  a  ray  through  any  medium  which 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


39 


reduces  its  original  speed  causes  a  derangement  of  its  components,  the 
medium  absorbs  a  portion,  while  it  also  makes  an  attempt  to  disperse  it 
into  its  elementary  colors;  so,  any  ray,  in  passing  from  one  transparent 
medium  to  another  of  different  density,  suffers  from  reflection,  dispersion 
and  absorption ;  and,  if  it  passes  obliquely,  it  also  suffers  refraction. 

Were  it  not  for  reflection  we  could  not  see  objects  which  are  not 
luminous;  and,  were  it  not  for  dispersion  and  absorption  the  power  of  the 
reflected  light  would  be  so  great  as  to  be  painful  to  the  nerves  of  vision. 


Red/ 

InoLiqo 
violet- 


Fig.  31 


Fig.  31  illustrates  the  dispersive  power  of  glass,  with  the  ray  passing 
from  A  toward  R,  at  such  an  angle  of  incidence  that  the  greatest  possible 
effect  from  the  prism,  C,  is  shown. 

Flint  glass,  with  a  refractive  power  about  equal  to,  has  twice  as  much 
dispersive  power  as  the  crown  glass  from  which  spectacle  lenses  are 
made,  so  that  a  prism  of  half  as  great  angle  as  the  cut  shows,  would,  if 
made  from  flint  glass,  exhibit  as  much  dispersion.  It  was  the  discovery 
of  this  which  enabled  the  makers  of  the  finer  grades  of  optical  and  mathe- 
matical instruments  to  attain  their  present  approximate  to  perfection.  Pre- 
viously two  factors  interfered  with  the  successful  use  of  lenses  with  more 
.than  about  twenty-five  diameters  magnifying  power.  These  were  chro- 
matic and  spherical  aberration.  No  single  lens  will  focus  absolutely,  be- 
cause while  the  density  is  constant  the  angles  at  which  the  rays  strike 
the  surfaces  increase  steadily,  as  they  are  farther  from  the  axis,  so  that 
the  effects  illustrated  by  Fig.  31  are  exhibited  by  the  lens  as  shown  in  Fig. 


Axt 


Fig.  32 

32,  the  rays  1  and  1  show  no  aberration,  while  rays  2  and  2  illustrate, 
first,  that  the  edge  rays  meet  on  the  axis  just  a  little  sooner  than  the  more 
central  ones,  thus,  in  high  power  lenses  causing  indistinct  images  to  be 
formed;  second,  the  dispersion  would  also  cause  color  disturbances.     The 


4o 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


discovery  of  the  difference  between  crown  and  flint  glass  enabled  the 
manufacturers  to  overcome  both  of  these  factors  and  thus  utilize  the  whole 
field  of  the  lens.  Formerly  it  was  necessary  to  rough-grind  the  marginal 
field  to  even  partly  overcome  the  difficulties. 

3 


Fig.  33 

Fig.  33  shows  the  dispersion  of  the  ray  from  R  in  the  crown  glass,  C, 
and  the  contrary  effect  in  the  flint  glass,  F,  which  reunites  the  parts, 
and  the  emergent  ray  becomes  white  again.  The  flint  glass,  3,  being 
half  as  strong  in  refractive  power  as  the  crown,  6,  and  of  the  same  dis- 
persive power,  the  result  is  a  refractive  power  of  3  in  the  combination, 
without  any  dispersion.  It  is  upon  this  principle  that  achromatic  and 
aplanatic  lenses  are  made.  The  first  means  the  chromatic  aberration  is 
corrected,  and  the  second  is  a  lens  in  which  all  faults  are  overcome. 


Fig.  34 


Fig.  34  shows  how  an  aplanatic  lens  is  constructed;  the  center  piece 
being  of  the  formula  C,  while  the  two  outer  pieces  are  of  the  formula 
F,  each  having  one-fourth  of  the  refractive  power  of  the  inner  piece. 
It  would  work  just  as  well  with  reference  to  the  dispersion  if  the  two  outer 
pieces  were  one,  half  as  strong  as  the  other,  but  by  making  two  pieces 
and  putting  one  on  either  side  another  defect  was  overcome,  namely, 
spherical  aberration,  caused  by  the  edge  rays  focusing  sooner  than  the  ones 
which  pass  through  the  lens  near  the  center.  Remember  there  are  two 
laws  which  govern  the  amount  of  refraction  by  lenses:  that  of  density 
and  that  of  angle  at  which  rays  strike  the  surfaces. 

Now  we  may  see,  with  the  aid  of  Figs.  35  and  36,  the  objects  of  a  toric 
lens.  First,  understand  that  in  architecture  a  tore  is  an  ornament  placed 
on  pillars;  it  would  be  well  illustrated  by  putting  a  bicycle  tire  around 
a  large  pillar,  showing  its  long  curve  around  the  pillar  and  its  short  curve 
around  itself ;  hence  a  toric  lens  is  so  named  because  it  has  not  a  spherical 
curvature  but  is  curved  in  all  meridians.  It  also  illustrates  aptly  a  natural 
law  that  in  non-spherical  surfaces  the  two  principal  meridians  are  always 


-•  -■ 


PHYSICAL     PORTION. 


r4i 


Fig.  36 


Fig.  35 


at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  when  they  are  taken  care  of  the  other 
meridians  are  also  provided  for  without  further  attention.  Yet  there 
are  alleged  scientific  oculists  and  opticians  who  prescribe  and  make  cross- 
cylinder  lenses  with  axes  not  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  when  criti- 
cized declare,  "Well,  I  get  better  results  from  them  anyhow,"  thus  clinch- 
ing the  proof  they  do  not  know  their  business. 

Fig.  35  shows  how  a  sphero-toric  lens  is  made  where  the  two  principal 
meridians  are  +  n.  and  +  8.  respectively.  Add  all  three  figures  together 
to  get  the  maximum  power  and  add  the  +  5.50  and  +  2.50  to  get  the  mini- 
mum power.  When  the  student  is  familiar  with  prescription  writing,  as 
detailed  later,  this  will  be  more  comprehensive.  Fig.  36  shows  how  a 
sphero-toric  can  be  and  often  is  made,  which  aborts  the  purpose  for  which 
nature  gave  the  principle.  By  first  grinding  —  5.  on  one  side  there  was 
caused' a  necessity  for  +16.  curvature  in  the  meridian  of  maximum  need, 
to  get  the  +11.  required,  and  for  +  13.  in  the  meridian  of  minimum  need 
to  get  the  +  8.  when  the  facts  illustrated  by  Fig.  34  prove  that  the  whole 
object  in  making  lenses  as  flat  as  possible  to  get  the  desired  effects  is 
because  the  nearer  flat  they  are  the  nearer  perfect  they  are.  Nature  made 
the  crystalline  lens  of  the  eye  on  the  same  principles  as  the  aplanatic  lens 
shown  here,  and,  I  believe,  for  the  same  reasons,  hence  I  assert  that  the 
rod-and-cone  theory  of  color-blindness  is  wrong,  that  most  cases  of  color- 
blindness are  color  ignorance  and  the  remainder  are  due  to  homogenity  of 
the  lens  structure. 

Fig.  37  shows  how  a  plano-convex  lens  focuses  parallel  rays  at  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  circle  of  which  the  lens  is  a  segment.  This  would  be 
true  of  any  size  circle  or  globe  of  glass  and  from  this  fact  the  system  of 
numbering  lenses  was  evolved.  The  word  "meter"  means  "measure," 
hence  a  circle  one  meter  in  diameter  was  chosen  as  the  standard  and  all 
lenses  are  numbered  inversely  as  their  focal  power  in  inches  equals  meters 
or  parts  of  meters.     The  numbers  apply  to  —  lenses  as  they  neutralize  their 


42 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Fig,  37 


equivalents  in  +,  for  the  —  are  only  positive  by  reflection,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  1 6.     Thus  having  a  standard, 

No.  i. oo  curvature  equals  i  meter  focal  power. 

No.  2.00  curvature  equals  1-2  meter  focal  power. 

No.  3.00  curvature  equals  1-3  meter  focal  power. 

No.  4.00  curvature  equals  1-4  meter  focal  power. 

No.  5.00  curvature  equals  1-5  meter  focal  power. 

No.  6.00  curvature  equals  1-6  meter  focal  power. 

No.  7.00  curvature  equals  1-7  meter  focal  power. 

No.  8.00  curvature  equals  1-8  meter  focal  power. 

No.  9.00  curvature  equals  1-9  meter  focal  power. 

No.  10.00  curvature  equals  1-10  meter  focal  power. 

The  metric  system  is  a  decimal  system  of  weights  and  measures  used 
almost  universally.  Its  unit  is  1  meter,  the  ten-millionth  part  of  one- 
quarter  of  a  meridian  circle  of  the  earth. 

1,000  meters  =  1  kilometer. 

100  meters  =  1  hectometer. 

10  meters  =  1  decameter. 

1  meter  =  1  meter. 

.1  meter  ==  1  decimeter. 

.01  meter  =  1  centimeter. 

.001  meter  =  1  millimeter. 

As  many  are  not  familiar  with  the  metric  system,  except  as  we  use  it 
in  money,  and  few  know  it  is  subdivided  metrically,  I  would  explain  that 
a  meter  is  39.368  inches,  or,  for  mental  calculations,  call  it  40  inches.    Then 

No.  1. 00  curvature  equals  40  inches  focus. 

No.  2.00  curvature  equals  20  inches  focus. 

No.  3.00  curvature  equals  13  inches  focus. 

No.  4.00  curvature  equals  10  inches  focus. 

No.  5.00  curvature  equals     8  inches  focus. 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


43 


and  so  on.  Having  the  number,  to  find  the  focus,  divide  it  into  40 ;  or,  hav- 
ing the  focus,  to  find  the  number,  divide  it  into  40.  Thus,  15  inches  focus 
divided  into  40  goes  2  2-3  times.  Express  it  decimally  as  2.66,  leaving 
out  the  small  fraction.  Then  remember  the  standard  is  not  quite  40 
inches,  but  is  exactly  1.00  and  that  1.00  cut  into  eighths  would  be  .12  1-2, 
.25,  .37  1-2,  .50,  .62  1-2,  .75,  .87  1-2,  1. 00.  We  arbitrarily  call  the  2.66 
a  2.62  because  lenses  are  ground  only  to  eighths.  A  No.  .50  would  go 
into  40  just  80  times,  hence  the  focus  of  a  +  .50  lens  would  be  twice  as 
far  as  +  1.00  and  that  of  a  +  2.00  would  be  half  as  far  as  plus  1.00,  or  20 
inches.  Thus  having  any  figure  in  one  column,  to  find  its  equivalent  in 
the  other,  divide  it  into  40.     Or,  to  be  more  exact,  divide  it  into  39,368. 

The  rule  of  calculation  of  indices,  curvatures  and  focuses  is:  Having 
the  focus  desired  and  the  index  of  refraction,  to  find  the  radius  of  curva- 
ture necessary,  multiply  the  focus  by  the  index  less  1.00.  Thus  the  focus 
of  a  No.  1.00  lens  is  39.368  inches;  the  index  of  refraction  of  glass  is  1.53. 
The  .53  being  in  excess  of  the  standard,  air,  is  what  we  use.  39.368  X  -53 
equals  20.86504  inches  or  the  radius  of  curvature  upon  which  the  lens  must 
be  ground.  Or,  being  given  the  radius  and  index,  to  find  the  focus, 
divide  the  radius  by  the  index  less  1.00.  Or,  being  given  the  focus  and 
radius,  to  find  the  index,  divide  the  radius  by  the  focus  and  add  1.00.  If 
a  biconvex  is  wanted  the  two  radii  must  be  twice  as  great  as  for  a  plano- 
convex; or  if  a  meniscus  is  wanted  the  radius  must  be  shortened;  thus 
if  +  10  is  to  be  made  meniscus  form,  with  —  1.25  on  one  side,  the  radius 
of  the  +  curvature  would  have  to  be  shortened  to  make  +  11.25  effect, 
so  the  —  1.25  would  be  neutralized  and  leave  the  full  +  10. 


Figf.  38 


P'ig.  38  shows  the  principal  points  and  planes  of  a  bi-convex  lens. 
The  points  are  all  on  the  axis  and  the  planes  are  the  vertical  lines  crossing 
the  axis  at  the  points.     A  and  A  locate  the  principal  points  and  planes: 


44 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


B  and  B,  the  principal  focal  points  and  planes ;  C  and  C,  the  optical  nodal 
points  and  planes;  D,  the  optical  center  and  its  plane.  N  and  N  are  the 
true  nodal  points,  or  centers  of  curvature  of  the  respective  surfaces,  from 
which  the  perpendiculars  are  drawn.  The  lines  R  and  Rx  show  how  rays 
approaching  parallel  to  the  axis  will  be  focused  at  the  principal  focal  points. 
The  line  X  to  X1  shows  how  the  secondary  axial  rays  suffer  refraction, 
and  locate  not  only  the  optical  nodal  points,  but  the  optical  center;  X 
passing  in  the  direction  O  is  refracted,  crosses  the  principal  axis  at  the 
optical  center  and  passes  away  to  X1  as  if  it  came  from  O1.  The  nodal 
points  are  where  the  rays  X  and  X1  would  cross  the  axis  if  they  did  not 
suffer  refraction.     It  is  of  no  great  importance,  but  is  of  passing  interest. 


^WcTr 


Fig.  39 


Conjugate  foci  are  those  points  on  either  side  of  a  +  lens  at  which 
are  situated  an  object  and  its  image.  If  an  object  be  placed  at  the  point 
on  the  left,  Fig.  39,  and  the  ray  of  direction  drawn  to  the  lens  L  through 
the  principal  focal  plane  P,  then  a  guide  line  be  drawn  from  the  point 
where  the  ray  crosses  the  focal  plane  through  the  optical  center  of  the  lens, 
then  the  ray  continued  parallel  to  the  guide  line,  the  point  where  it  meets 
the  axis  will  be  the  location  of  the  image.  It  makes  no  difference  where 
the  ray  of  direction  is  made  so  it  hits  the  lens.  The  reason  this  works 
exactly  is  that  any  ray  starting  divergent  from  the  axis  at  the  point  where 
the  line  P  crosses,  will  be  refracted  and  pass  away  parallel  to  the  axis, 
and  any  ray  starting  from  any  point  on  that  plane,  divergent  from  its 
secondary  axis,  represented  by  the  guide-line,  will  be  refracted  and  pass 
away  parallel  to  that  axis. 

A 


1     -*£= 


Fig.  40 


Fig.  40  shows  how  the  law  of  conjugate  foci  works  in  producing  the 


PHYSICAL    P01ITI0N. 


45 


image.  The  direct  rays  from  i  to  i  and  from  3  to  3  are  secondary  axes 
and  the  divergent  rays  from  each  converge  to  the  corresponding  figure 
on  the  other  side  for  the  same  reason  that  those  from  the  principal  axis 

2  converge  to  it  again  at  2  on  the  other  side.  The  fact  that  the  secondary 
rays  cross  the  principal  axis  at  the  optical  center  accounts  for  the  re- 
versal of  the  image.  There  is  a  multitude  of  secondary  axes,  but  the 
extreme  ones  given  show  how  they  all  act.  If  an  object  be  placed  at  twice 
the  principal  focal  distance  from  any  lens  the  image  will  be  formed  at  the 
same  distance  on  the  other  side;  if  the  object  be  at  three  times  the  focal 
distance  the  image  will  be  nearer  and  half  size;  if  object  is  at  four,  five, 
six,  etc.,  times  the  principal  focal  distance,  the  picture  will  be  nearer  and 
proportionately  smaller  until  the  object  is  at  infinity,  when  the  image 
will  be  at  the  principal  focal  point  on  the  other  side.  Infinity  is  the  dis- 
tance sufficient  so  that  any  greater  one  makes  no  perceptible  change  in 
the  location  of  the  image;  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  fairly  expresses  it.  If 
the  object  be  placed  nearer  than  twice  the  focal  distance  the  image  will 
be  farther  away  and  enlarged.  If  the  object  be  placed  nearer  the  lens  than 
the  principal  focus,  the  rays  will  be  divergent  after  passing  it  and  there 
will  be  no  image.  The  point  upon  the  principal  axis  where  the  ob- 
ject is  placed  is  the  first  conjugate  focal  point,  and  the  corresponding 
point  on  the  other  side  of  the  lens,  where  the  image  is  formed,  is  the  second 
conjugate  focal  point,  and  the  distances  between  each  of  those  points 
and  the  lens  are,  respectively,  the  first  and  second  conjugate  focal  dis- 
tances. A  rule  to  locate  where  images  will  be  formed  is  to  multiply  the 
first  conjugate  focal  distance  by  the  focal  length  of  the  lens  and  divide 
the  product  by  the  difference  between  the  two  first  figures;  the  result  will 
be  the  second  conjugate  focal  distance,  which,  in  +  lenses  is  always  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  lens.  The  word  "conjugate"  means  "yoked  to- 
gether,,,  and  it  is  applied  to  the  points  described  because  they  are  movable, 
the  position  of  the  second  being  always  dependent  upon  the  first.  A  better 
rule  is  to  express  the  first  conjugate  focal  distance  in  diopers,  deduct  it 
from  the  power  of  the  lens  and  convert  the  remainder  into  inches.  Having 
both  conjugate  foci  to  find  the  power  of  the  lens,  express  both  in  diopters 
and  add  them. 

Fig.  41  shows  how  a  —  lens  forms  images  by  reflection.     Rays  1  and 

3  are  reflected  as  2  and  4,  while  the  principal  axial  ray  is  reflected  back 
on  its  own  line;  5  is  reflected  as  6,  and  others,  not  shown  in  the  cut, 
fall  in  between,  forming  the  image  reversed.  Other  writers  have  misled 
readers  by  showing  with  Fig.  40  that  +  lenses  form  "real  images  re- 
versed," and  by  Fig.  42  that  —  lenses  form  "virtual  images  erect,"  which 
is  not  true,  as  the  student  may  determine  readily  if  he  will  take  two  lenses, 
one  +  and  one  — ,  look  through  each  at  some  object,  preferably  a  light  at 
some  distance,  when  he  will  see  a  "virtual"  erect  object  with  either,  en- 


46 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Fig.  41 


larged  with  the  +  and  reduced  with  the  — .  Then  by  holding  a  piece  of 
blank  paper  with  the  +  lens  between  it  and  the  light  he  will  find  a  "real" 
image  inverted;  next  hold  the  paper  between  the  light  and  the  lens  but  a 


Fig.  42 

trifle  lower  and  tilt  the  lens  so  it  will  reflect  on  the  paper  and  he  will  see 
another  "real"  image,  inverted,  too. 

If  the  effect  of  the  combinations  of  spheres,   placed  some   distance 
apart,  is  wanted,  make  a  drawing  like  Fig.  43.     L1  and  U  represent  the 


Fig.  43 

lenses;  P1  and  P2  represent  the  respective  focal  planes.  In  this  cut  the 
lenses  are  each  +  3.25  and  1-16  inch  represents  an  inch,  thus  the  lenses  are 
6  inches  apart.  The  incident  ray  A  approaches  L1  divergent  and  crosses 
its  principal  plane  P1,  in  its  course.  For  the  reasons  shown  in  Fig.  39  the 
ray  would  be  refracted  by  L1  and  pass  toward  L2  parallel  to  the  guide  line 


PHYSICAL    POltTION.  aj 

X  drawn  from  the  principal  focal  plane  through  the  center  of  L1 ;  then  pro- 
jecting it  backward  on  its  new  course  until  it  strikes  the  plane  P2,  draw- 
ing a  guide  line  X  from  there  through  the  center  of  the  second  lens,  and 
continuing  the  ray  parallel  to  it  until  it  strikes  the  axis,  there  will  be  the 
conjugate  focus  with  the  point  from  which  the  incident  ray,  A,  started. 

If  the  ray  A  approached  parallel  with  the  axis  and  the  power  of  the 
lenses  is  known  its  course  from  the  first  to  the  second  lens  may  be  drawn 
arbitrarily,  then  proceed  as  above. 

Fig.  44  shows  another  class  of  lenses,  in  which  the  prisms  are  arranged 
on  either  side  of  a  line,  instead  of  around  a  point;  bases  are  at  the  line  for 
+  and  apices  at  the  line  for  — .  These  are  called  cylindrical  lenses,  be- 
cause, if  the  curvature  of  the  +  were  continued  they  would  form  cylin- 
ders. Rays  passing  through  on  the  lines  marked  "axis"  suffer  no  refrac- 
tion, but  all  others  do.  A  +  cylinder  refracts  all  rays  on  either  side  of  its 
axis,  toward  the  line,  thus  what  is  termed  the  "focus"  of  a  cylinder  is 


Fig  44. 

merely  causing  a  lot  of  rays  to  form  a  wedge,  the  thin  part  being  on  the 
axis  and  the  wide  part  being  equal  to  the  extreme  width  of  the  lens. 
A  —  cylinder  refracts  rays  from  its  axis,  hence  can  only  form  a  wedge 
of  light  by  reflection.  Cylinders  are  numbered  as  spheres  are  because 
in  the  meridian  of  greatest  power  of  each  they  are  equal  to  spheres  of  the 
same  curvature.  They  are  made  only  in  the  forms  plano-convex  and 
plano-concave  because  of  the  frequent  necessity  of  combining  them  with 
sphericals  to  make  what  are  called  sphero-cylinders,  or  compound  lenses. 
In  toric  lenses  the  sphere  and  cylinder  are  ground  on  the  same  side  of 
the  lenses.  The  points  to  be  noted  particularly  with  reference  to 
cylinders  are  that  there  are  two  principal  meridians,  at  right  angles  to 
each  other;  one  is  the  axis,  the  other  the  meridian  of  maximum  power; 
therefore  in  combining  them  with  spheres,  they  impart  that  quality  to  the 
combination,  the  sphere  furnishing  all  the  power  on  the  axis  and  both  sup- 
plying power  on  the  opposite  meridian,  where,  if  both  have  the  same  sign 
they  must  be  added,  and  if  of  opposite  signs  they  must  be  subtracted; 
if  of  opposite  signs  and  of  the  same  power  they  neutralize  each  other 
and  the  combination  can  be  duplicated  with  a  simple  cylinder.  See  next 
chapter  for  this  work. 

Hold  a  prism,  base  down,  a  few  inches  from  the  eye,  and  look  through 
it  at  some  fixed  object;  there  will  be  an  apparent  displacement  of  the  ob- 
ject toward  the  apex  of  the  prism,  because  the  rays  are  broken  toward  the 


48  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

base.  Move  the  prism  from  right  to  left  and  reverse,  when  there  will  be 
no  movement  of  the  object.  Rotate  the  prism  and  the  object  will  move 
in  a  circle  with  the  apex  of  prism. 

Hold  a  +  sphere  in  the  same  manner  and  there  will  be  no  displace- 
ment, because  there  are  a  great  many  prisms  arranged  around  a  center. 
The  object  may  appear  enlarged  more  or  less,  governed  by  the  distances. 
Move  lens  to  and  fro  and  the  object  will  be  displaced  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection.    Rotate  the  lens  and  the  object  will  remain  stationary. 

A  —  sphere  treated  in  like  manner  causes  the  object  to  move  with  it, 
otherwise  it  will  be  just  like  the  +. 

A  +  cylinder,  held  axis  90  and  moved  up  and  down  will  not  displace 
the  object;  but  when  moved  to  and  fro  will  displace  the  object  in  the 
opposite  direction.  Rotate  it  and  the  vertical  meridian  will  go  against  the 
movement,  while  the  horizontal  meridian  will  go  with  it.  This  is  because 
the  apices  of  the  cylinders  are  down  on  one  side  and  up  on  the  other. 

A  —  cylinder,  axis  90,  will  cause  no  motion  of  object  when  moved  up 
and  down,  but  moved  sidewise  will  cause  a  movement  with  the  lens.  Ro- 
tated it  will  cause  the  vertical  meridian  of  the  object  to  move  with  its 
motion  while  the  horizontal  will  reverse,  for  the  same  reasons  given  for 
the  +  cylinders. 

The  prisms  being  reversed  the  effects  are  also  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Knowing  the  peculiarities  of  each  lens  in  its  simplest  form  it  is  easy 
to  find  how  many  departments  to  a  lens.  For  example,  if  a  lens  be  shaken 
and  objects  move  in  every  direction  it  is  proof  there  is  a  sphere;  if,  in 
addition  there  is  greater  movement  in  one  principal  meridian  than  in  the 
other  it  tells  there  is  a  cylinder,  or  if  rotating  distorts  objects  it  tells  of  a 
cylinder;  while  if  rotating  moves  the  object  in  a  circle,  but  does  not  distort 
it,  a  prism  is  present.     If  all  the  effects  are  there,  all  the  causes  are  also. 

This  exhibition  of  law  affords  us  a  lesson  in  practice.  We  must  know 
what  symptoms,  objective  or  subjective,  mean,  then  if  we  find  several 
symptoms  we  know  there  are  several  causes.  Our  symptoms  are  not  like 
those  of  the  old  schools,  a  sort  of  guide  to  diagnosis  only,  but  to  complete 
analysis. 

PRESCRIPTION  WRITING. 

Analysis  and  Neutralization  of  Lenses  Prove  a  Simple  Natural  Law. 

A  +  lens  which  brings  parallel  rays  to  a  focus  at  one  meter  (39.368 
inches)  beyond  it  is  taken  as  the  standard  of  measure  and  is  numbered  1.00. 
When  the  power  is  increased  the  focus  is  shortened ;  thus  +  2.00  will  focus 
at  1/2  the  distance  -f-  1.00  does;  +  3-°o  at  1/3;  +  4-oo  at  1/4,  etc.  For  mem- 
tal  calculations,  remember  +  1.00  equals  40  inches  focus. 

As  +  1. 00  is  the  number,  and  40  inches  the  focal  length,  of  the  unit  of 
measurement,  if  we  have  the  number  of  a  lens  and  want  to  know  its  focal 
length  we  divide  the  number  into  40,  and  the  result  is  the  figure  desired. 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


49 


If  we  have  the  focal  length  and  want  the  number,  we  divide  40  by  the  focal 
length  and  the  result  is  the  number.  +  2-5o  1S  oi  16  inches  focal  length, 
because  2.50  is  contained  in  40  sixteen  times.  A  lens  of  10  inches  focus 
would  be  +  4.00  because  10  is  contained  in  40  four  times. 

Lenses  are  not  made  in  smaller  fractions  than  eighths,  so  that  when  a 
figure  is  divided  into  40  and  the  result  is  not  in  eighths  we  put  it  in  th« 
class  to  which  it  is  nearest.  For  example,  a  15-inch  focus  would  give  num- 
ber 2.662/3  when  the  calculation  is  made  thus:  40  divided  by  15  equals 
2.66  2/3.  As  2.625  is  the  nearest,  we  so  class  it.  It  is  customary  to  ignore 
the  third  figure  in  the  decimal  expression,  so  the  number  would  be  2.62 
or  2.63. 

In  practice  it  is  rarely  ever  necessary  to  use  smaller  fractions  than 
quarters,  because,  if  the  eye  is  below  normal,  so  that  +  lenses  are  required, 
it  should  be  given  full  correction,  or  a  little  more;  and  if  it  is  above, 
normal,  so  that  —  lenses  are  used,  it  should  be  undercorrected.  That  is, 
if  -f-  1. 12  is  called  for  by  the  test,  give  +  1.25;  if  —  1.12  is  the  test,  give  — 
1.00. 

The  word  "Dioptre"  means  "to  see  through,"  hence  it  was  chosen  as 
the  name  for  the  unit  of  measure. 

As  has  been  shown  in  the  chapter  on  refraction,  —  lenses  are  negative 
quantities,  made  by  reversing  the  order  in  which  prisms  are  used  for  +1 
therefore,  the  numbering  applies  to  both.     Also  to  cylinders. 

It  is  easy  to  tell  +  from  — ,  because  if  a  +  lens  is  held  between  the 
eye  and  an  object  and  moved  back  and  forth  to  right  and  left,  or  up  and 
down,  or  moved  back  and  forth  between  the  eye  and  the  object,  the  object 
will  appear  to  move  in  the  direction  opposite  to  that  in  which  the  lens  is 
moved,  and  the  stronger  the  lens  the  more  decided  the  motion.  Take  — 
lenses  and  the  motion  is  with  the  movement  of  the  lens. 

Spherical  lenses  have  equal  power  in  all  meridians,  while  cylindricals 
have  power  only  when  moved  across  the  line  corresponding  to  the  axis, 
To  find  the  axis  of  a  cylinder,  hold  it  between  the  eye  and  some  straight 


Fig.  45 

object  and  rotate  it.  The  object  will  appear  distorted  in  shape  except  when 
either  the  axis  or  the  meridan  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  is  on  the  line  cor- 
responding to  the  correct  position  of  the  object.  Having  found  that  posi- 
tion, move  the  lens  sidewise  and  up  and  down,  the  meridian  where  there 
is  no  motion  to  the  object  is  the  axis.  Make  a  mark  on  the  edge  of  the  lens 
showing  where  the  axis  is,  then  lay  the  lens  flat  on  Fig  45,  center  over  cen- 


5o 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


ter,  and  read  the  meridian  from  the  figures.  The  inside  of  the  lens  must  be 
down  if  the  axis  is  oblique,  otherwise  an  axis  which  is  really  60  will  regis- 
ter 120,  or  as  far  on  the  other  side  of  90;  axis  45  would  register  135;  axis 
15  would  register  165,  etc. 

Sphero-cylinders  will  cause  the  object  to  move  in  all  directions,  but  in 
one  meridian  there  will  be  the  greatest,  and  in  the  one  at  right  angles  to 
it,  the  least  motion.  Locate  the  two  principal  meridians  as  described  in 
the  case  of  cylinders. 

Sphero-cylinder-prism  or  sphero-prism  lenses  will  cause,  not  only  the 
movement  described  for  sphero-cylinders,  spheres  or  cylinders,  but  the 
prism  will  displace  the  object  toward  its  apex.  The  prism,  base  reversed, 
which  replaces  the  object,  is  the  measure  of  the  prism  in  the  lens.  If  the 
prism  in  the  lens  is  base  in  it  will  require  the  same  degree  of  prism,  base 
out,  to  neutralize  it. 

A  prism  alone  will  not  distort  or  move  objects  seen  through  them, 
except  as  the  prism  is  rotated  it  will  hold  the  virtual  object  in  perfect 
shape,  constantly  in  line  with  the  apex. 

To  ascertain  the  number  of  a  lens  use  lenses  of  the  opposite  kind  which 
have  the  numbers  on  them,  to  neutralize  the  one  unknown.  If  a  +  lens 
of  unknown  power  be  neutralized  with  a  —  1.00  sphere  we  know  it  must 
be  +  I-00-  If  a  +  I-00  cylinder  axis  90  stops  all  motion  in  a  —  cylinder 
we  know  it  must  be  —  1.00  axis  90.  If  we  have  a  -f-  compound  (sphero- 
cylinder)  and  —  1.00  —  1.50  axis  45  neutralizes  it,  we  know  it  is  -j-  1.00  + 
1.50  axis  45.  If  it  is  a  compound  and  +  I'00  —  2-5°  axis  J^°  neutralizes 
it  we  know  it  is  —  1.00  -f-  2-5°  axis  180.  There  are  such  things  as  crossed- 
cylinders,  but  people  who  understand  their  business  never  have  any  use  for 
them,  except  in  the  very  rare  instances  where  the  astigmatic  error  is  so 
great  that  a  sphero-cylinder  would  give  more  spherical  and  chromatic  aber- 
ration. Even  then,  the  sphero-toric  lens  (one  in  which  there  is  a  spherical 
curvature  on  one  surface,  and  both  a  spherical  and  cylindrical  curvature 
on  the  other)  is  better  in  most  cases.  It  is  a  fact,  however,  that  all  com- 
pound lenses  are  cross-cylinders  in  effect. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  optical  work  is  the  writing  of 
prescriptions  correctly,  yet  more  errors  are  committed  in  this  respect  than 
in  any  other,  except,  possibly,  the  prescribing  of  —  lenses  where  -f-  should 
be  used. 

The  incorrect  writing  does  not  affect  the  result  so  far  as  the  patient  is 
concerned,  but  it  frequently  involves  more  work  for  the  optician  who  grinds 
the  lenses.  For  example:  a  combination  written  -f-  2-°°  —  2-5°  ax.  180 
means  a  +  spherical  lens  is  combined  with  a  —  cylindrical  with  its  axis  at 
180,  or  the  horizontal  meridian. 

In  analyzing  this  we  must  remember  that  the  180  is  not  a  lens,  but  is 
the  particular  meridian  upon  which  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  is  placed,  and 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


51 


signifies  that  the  cylinder  has  no  power  there.  Next,  we  must  remember 
that  spherical  lenses  have  power  in  all  meridians  equally,  so  the  power  of 
the  combination  on  the  horizontal  meridian  is  furnished  entirely  by  the 
spherical,  and  is,  of  course,  +  2.00.  Next,  the  other  principal  meridian  is 
always  at  right  angles  to  the  first,  which  makes  it  the  90th  meridian;  on 
this  line  both  lenses  have  power,  and  as  one  is  -f-  while  the  other  is  — , 
the  real  effect  is  only  the  difference  between  them.  The  —  being  2.50 
while  the  +  is  only  2.00,  the  balance  is  in  favor  of  the  — ■  by  50,  so,  when 
the  combination  is  made  into  a  lens  the  power  in  its  two  principal  meridians 
will  be  represented  by  Fig.  46. 


-*0 


+2.00 


Fig.  46 

Had  the  prescription  been  written  —  50  -f-  2.50  ax.  go  the  effect 
would  be  the  same,  because  now  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  is  vertical,  and 
it  has  no  power  on  its  axis,  while  the  —  sphere,  having  power  in  all 
meridians  takes  full  effect  on  the  vertical,  and  on  the  opposite  meridian 
the  -f   2.50  neutralizes  the  —  .50  and  has  +  2-oo  remainder. 

Manufacturing  opticians  carry  what  they  call  blank  cylinders  in  stock ; 
that  is,  a  square  piece  of  glass  with  the  cylinder  ground  on  one  surface,  and 
grind  whatever  sphere  is  desired  on  the  other  side,  then  lay  a  pattern  on 
and  cut  the  lens  so  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  is  at  the  proper  meridian. 
In  the  prescription  as  written  first  it  would  require  the  grinding  of  +  2«00 
while  as  written  last  it  would  only  require  —  .50,  a  saving  of  three-fourths 
of  the  work.  If  all  practitioners  would  observe  these  points  it  would  facili- 
tate greater  speed  in  filling  their  prescriptions  and  often  result  in  lighter 
weight  lenses. 

1. 00  +  i-00  ax-     9° 

.50  +  1.50  ax.     45 

+  1.00  +  .75  ax.     60 

—  1.00  —  2.00  ax.  120 

—  2.00  —  1.50  ax.     75 

—  1.00  —  1.00  ax.  150 
4-  1.00  —  2.00  ax.  135 

—  1.00  +  2.00  ax.  165 
+  100.  —  3.00  ax.  180 

—  1.50  +  400  ax*  I4° 


or  any  other  axis,  would 
be  correct,  because  the 
signs  are  alike;  or,  dif- 
ing,  the  cylinder  is  at  least 
twice  as  strong  as  the 
sphere. 


52 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


+  i -oo  —    .50  ax. 
+  i-5o  —  2.00  ax. 

—  1.00  +    75  ax. 

—  1.00  +  1.50  ax. 


60 

180 

90 

45 


t 


or    any    other    axis,    are 
wrong,  because  the  signs 
differ,    and    the    cylinder 
is     less     than     twice     as 
strong  as  the  sphere. 
The  meridian  given  as  the  location  of  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  is  called 
the  first  principal  meridian  and  the  one  opposite  to  it  is  the  second  principal 
meridian. 

As  lenses  are  to  supply  deficiencies  and  neutralize  over-developments 
of  the  dioptric  systems  of  the  eyes,  it  is  in  order  to  explain  some  of  the 
physical  qualities  of  those  organs  here.  Normal  and  defective  eyes  are 
named,  respectively,  emmetropic  and  ametropic.  The  latter  are  divided 
into  two  classes,  the  deficient  ones  are  hypermetropic,  or  hyperopic,  while 
the  over-developed  ones  are  myopic.  The  first  are  sometimes  called  far- 
sighted  and  the  latter  near-sighted.  The  reasons  will  be  found  in  the 
chapter  devoted  to  refraction  and  accommodation  of  the  eyes. 


Fig.  47 


Fig.  47  shows  how  the  retina  of  the  emmetropic  eye  is  situated  at  the 
principal  focus  of  the  dioptric  system.  This  eye  requires  no  lens  because 
its  focus  is  right  without  it. 


Fig,  48 


Fig.  48  shows  the  retina  of  a  hyperopic  eye  in  front  of  the  principal 
focus,  because  the  eye  is  too  short  on  its  axis,  or  because  the  cornea  or  lens, 
both,  are  of  deficient  curvature.  This  eye  needs  a  +  lens  to  shorten  the  fo- 
cus by  increasing  the  power  of  the  apparatus. 


Fig.  49 


Fig.  49  shows  the  retina  of  a  myopic  eye  behind  the  principal  focus, 
because  the  eye  is  too  long  on  its  axis,  or  because  the  cornea  or  lens,  or 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


53 


both,  are  of  too  great  curvature.     This  eye  needs  a  —  lens  to  lengthen  the 
focus  by  neutralizing  the  excess  power  of  the  dioptric  system. 

In  many  cases  the  cornea  is  not  of  spherical  curvature,  but  is  not 
irregular,  and  it  is  one  of  Nature's  laws  that  all  non-spherical,  regular 
curvatures  have  two  principal  meridians,  at  right  angles  to  each  other.  In 
architecture  such  a  surface  is  called  toric.  It  is  well  illustrated  by  a  bicycle 
tire  which  has  a  long  curve  around  the  wheel  and  a  short  one  around  the 
tire.  Imagine  a  piece  of  glass  like  that  and  it  is  easy  to  see  the  shortest 
curve  would  focus  sooner  than  the  long  one,  hence  if  light  was  permitted 
to  pass  through  the  whole  surface  of  a  lens  at  once  there  would  be  no  focus. 


Fig.  50 


Let  Fig.  50  represent  the  curves  of  the  two  principal  meridians  of  a  lens 
A  being  the  vertical  and  B  the  horizontal.  The  rays  1  and  1  would  focus 
at  1  and  the  rays  2  and  2  would  focus  at  2.  This  lack  of  common  focus  is 
called  astigmatism,  meaning  without  a  point.  When  an  eye  presents  such 
a  surface  to  rays,  vision  is,  of  course,  more  or  less  impaired,  owing  to  the 
amount  of  the  difference  between  the  two  principal  meridians;  sometimes 
there  is  so  little  difference  it  is  not  worth  correcting,  as  will  be  shown  in  the 
chapter  on  measuring  errors  of  refraction. 


S.  Hij^st. 


S, My.  fist 


CoM.Hy.  f{st. 


Com  My.  f\ st. 


Mixed  Hst. 


+  Cul. 


-Cyl. 


•f-Spk.  +  Cyl. 


-Suh.  -Cut. 


-Sph.  +  Cyl. 
♦  5pK.  -  Cy  t. 


Fig.  51 


There  are  five  different  forms  of  regular  astigmatism:     Simple  and 


54  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

compound  hyperopia  simple  and  compound  myopic  and  mixed.  Fig.  51 
shows  the  principal  focal  points  of  the  two  principal  meridians  in  each  case; 
the  myopic  meridians  focus  too  soon,  the  normal  ones  at  the  line  R,  and 
the  hyperopic  ones  beyond  the  lines;  the  first  ones  require  —  lenses,  the 
second,  none,  and  the  third,  -f-  lenses;  the  amount  of  astigmatism  is  the 
distance  between  the  two  points.  In  mixed  astigmatism  one  meridian  is 
myopic  and  the  other  hyperopic. 

Having  seen  that  a  cylindrical  lens  has  no  power  on  its  axis,  we  have 
a  law  by  which  we  analyze  compound  prescriptions,  and  it  is  essential  to 
practice  that  it  be  understood  perfectly,  because  by  our  method  of  fitting 
with  or  without  clycloplegics  we  must  nearly  always  transpose  the  pre- 
scription, as  it  comes  from  the  trial  frame,  to  get  it  in  its  simplest  form. 
Sometimes  it  comes  from  the  frame  a  compound  and  we  transpose  it  into 
a  simple  cylinder.  The  two  principal  meridians,  when  drawn  on  paper 
form  a  cross,  hence,  in  proceeding  by  the  law  we  do  one  step  at  a  time. 
If  we  take  care  of  the  two  principal  meridians.  Nature  will  take  care  of  the 
rest. 

1st  step :  Draw  a  line  representing  the  meridian  designated  as  the  axis 
of  the  cylinder. 

2nd  step:  Write  at  one  end  of  that  line  the  sign  and  power  of  the 
sphere,  because  it  is  the  only  part  of  the  combination  that  has  power, 
(viz.,  curvature)  there. 

3d  step :  Draw  a  line  representing  the  other  meridian  which  is  always 
at  right  angles  to  the  first  and  is  90  degrrees  from  it  on  the  circle ;  if  the  first 
is  below  90,  add  90  to  find  the  degree;  if  the  first  is  above  90,  subtract 
90.  Thus  if  the  first  is  40  the  second  will  be  130;  if  the  first  is  120,  the 
second  will  be  30,  etc. 

4th  step:  Write  at  one  end  of  the  second  line  the  effect  of  the  two 
lenses;  if  both  are  4-  or  both  are  — ,  add  the  figures  and  give  the  sign; 
if  one  is  -f-  and  the  other  — ,  subtract  the  less  from  the  greater  and  use 
the  remainder,  giving  the  sign  of  the  greater;  if  the  signs  differ  but  the 
power  is  equal  of  course  there  is  nothing  to  be  recorded  and  we  put  it  o. 

5th  step:  Make  a  diagram  of  the  focal  points  of  the  two  meridians 
as  shown  in  Fig.  51. 

6th  step:  Begin  writing  the  new  prescription  by  writing,  for  the 
spherical  part,  -f-  or  — ,  whatever  is  needed  for  the  meridian  nearest  normal. 

7th  step :  Change  the  focal  point  to  the  line  R,  as  the  lens  would  do 
it,  and  change  the  focal  point  of  the  other  meridian  the  same  amount  in 
the  same  direction. 

8th  step :  Write  for  the  cylindrical  part,  -j-  or  —  cylinder  of  sufficient 
power  to  put  the  other  meridian  on  the  line  R  also  and  write  for  the  axis 
the  number  of  the  meridian  corrected  by  the  sphere. 

This  law  always  works.     If  a  prescription  is  written  correctly  it  will 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


55 


prove  it,  and  if  wrong  it  will  correct  it.  To  prove  the  correctness  of  a 
transposition  put  the  new  prescription  on  a  cross  by  steps  i,  2,  3,  4,  then 
if  it  corresponds  with  the  cross  made  from  the  original  prescription  and  the 
cylinder  is  still  of  the  same  power,  it  is  proved. 

A  short  way  to  transpose  a  prescription  that  needs  it  is  to  take  the 
difference  between  the  powers  of  sphere  and  cylinder  for  the  new  sphere, 
then  use  the  power  of  the  old  cylinder,  but  change  the  sign  and  reverse 
the  axis. 

No  prescriptions  need  transposing  unless  the  signs  differ  and  the  cylin- 
der is  less  than  twice  as  strong  as  the  sphere. 

It  is  always  a  case  of  mixed  astigmatism  when  the  signs  differ  and  the 
cylinder  is  the  least  bit  stronger  than  the  sphere. 

It  is  always  a  case  of  simple  astigmatism  when  the  signs  differ  and 
the  cylinder  is  of  the  same  power  as  the  sphere. 

It  is  always  a  case  of  compound  astigmatism  when  the  signs  differ  and 
the  cylinder  is  weaker  than  the  sphere. 

The  following  examples  will  show  the  process  of  working  out  transpo- 
sitions: Some  people,  who  want  to  be  mysterious,  write  a  prescription 
like  this: 

-f-  D.  S.  1.00  C+  D-  C.  2.00  ax.  90. 
D.  for  diopter,  S.  for  sphere,  3  for  combined  with,  D.  for  diopter,  C.  for 
cylinder.     We  know  that  the  first  lens,  having  no  axis  written,  must  be  a 
sphere,  and  the  other  having  an  axis,  is  a  cylinder.     Being  written  together, 
a  compound  is  intended,  thus,  +  1.00  -j-  2.00  ax.  90. 


fffeetg  ieas. 


•  * 


4-3.00 


Condition  of eye \ 

R 


Fig.  52 


v  3.00 


Following  the  law,  step  by  step,  the  prescription  comes  out  as  it  went 
in,  hence  must  be  correct,  and  by  Fig.  52  we  see  it  is  compound  hyperopic 
astigmatism. 

L.  +  3.50  —  3.50  ax.  180. 
Another, 

R.  +  4.00  —  5.00  ax.    30. 


56 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


+  3.iT0 


-//>o     /?/'«7>t. 


ijo 


+  U.0O 


Fig.  53 

The  left  eye  shows  (Fig.  53)  the  90  meridian  is  normal,  so  we  write 
for  it  a  simple  cylinder,  +  3.50  ax.  go,  because  we  must  have  the  power 
at  180  and  the  power  of  cylinders  is  always  across  the  axis.  For  the  right 
eye  we  write  —  1.00,  which  puts  the  120th  meridian  on  the  line  but 
drives  the  other  1.00  farther  away  so  it  must  now  have  +  500  cylinder, 
ax.  120,  hence  the  prescription  will  read  —  1.00  +  5-oo  ax.  120.  That  for 
the  left  eye  shows  simple  hyperopic  astigmatism,  while  the  right  shows  a 
case  of  mixed  astigmatism. 

Another,  —  2.00  —  1.00  ax.  180. 


fffect  of  /e/zj 


Condition  of  eye 
R 


—2&0 


Fig.  54 


Analysis  shows  the  original  to  be  correct  and  Fig.  54  shows  compound 
myopic  astigmatism. 

Another,  +  2.00  —  3.00  ax.  135. 


fffect  Of  h??s 


Condition  of  ~ eye, 


.  Ji.oo 


Fig.  55 


PHYSICAL    PORTION. 


57 


Analysis,  (Fig.  55)  shows  —  1.00  +  3.00  ax,  45.,  a  case  of  mixed  astig- 
matism. 

Another,  . —  5.00  ax.  180. 


—  £00 


-£00 


0 


Fig\  56 


Being  a  simple  cylinder  of  course  there  is  no  transposition, 
of  simple  myopic  astigmatism,  Fig.  56. 
Another,  L,  +  1.50  —  3.00  ax.  155. 
R.  -f-  1 -oo  —  1.00  ax.  180. 


A  case 


left 


-f  is-'* 


-is* 


/?;'<ytt 


-■ft.Oo 


-M.S*'> 


+/.P< 


Fig,  57 


Corrected,  Fig.  57,  L.  —  1.50  +  3.00  ax.  65. 

R  +  1. 00  ax.  90. 
Don't  forget  that  transposing  prescriptions  and  neutralizing  lenses  are 
two  different  propositions.     In  neutralizing,  change  signs  but  not  axes. 


There  is  always  something  to  be  learned. 

Original  ideas  will  always  command  a  premium. 

To  lend  a  book  is  bad.     To  borrow  one  is  worse. 

No  man  ever  knew  so  much  that  he  couldn't  learn  more. 

When  you  get  near  the  "limit  angle"  look  out  or  you'll  lose  your 
bearings. 

People  who  are  anxious  to  have  the  world  look  up  to  them  ought 
to  climb. 

Speaking  of  theory  and  practice,  a  good  many  people  seem  to  think 
any  old  notion  is  a  theory. 


CONDENSED  ANATOMY. 


Head. 


\ 
) 


Weighs  4  lbs 


i  Cerebrum  ^ 
(  Cerebellum  y, 


Thorax . 


f  Right,  3  lobes;  weighs  22  oz. 


Abdomen 


{ 


Cerebrum,  Mental. . . 
Cerebellum,  Physical 

"^un£s \  Left,  2  lobes;  weighs  20  oz. 

Heart,  5x3^x2^  in.;  weighs  8  to  12  oz.;  capacity  16  tons  daily. 
Stomach,  13x5x3^  in.;  weighs  4  to  5  oz.;  capacity  3  to  5  pints;  secretes  6  to  8  lbs 
gastric  juice  daily;  coarse  digestion;  extracts  elements  for  crude  blood 
and  delivers  to  spleen  and  portal  vein. 
Spleen,  5x3x2  in.;  capacity  6  to  10  oz.;  makes  crude  blood. 
Duodenum,  10  in.  long,  shaped  like  a  shepherd's  crook  laid  on  its  side, 
short  end  up,  where  it  is  attached  to  the  stomach  at  the  pylorus;  il 
is  a  second  stomach  and  is  assisted  by  the  pancreas  and  gall-bladdei 
secretions.  . 
Liver,  12x6x3  in.;  weighs  4  lbs.;  secretes  20  to  40  oz.  bile  in  24  hours;  excretes 
sugar  and  urea  from  crude  blood  sent  from  stomach  and  spleen  b} 
portal  vein,  preventing  kidney  troubles  and  auto-intoxication. 
Pancreas,  7x2x1  in.;  weighs  3  oz.;  secretes  20  oz.  in  24  hours. 
Gall-bladder,  3xi^  in.;  capacity  1  oz.;  secretes  20  to  24  oz.  in  24  hours. 
Kidneys,  4x2^x1^  in.;  weigh  5  oz.  each;  capacity  40  to  50  oz.  in  24  hours;  \l/2 
oz.  solids;  300  to  500  grains  urea;    1   grain  of  uric  acid  to  33  grains 
urea.     More  is  bad. 
Supra-renal   capsules,  1^x2   in.;  weigh   1-16  oz.  each;  extract  toxics  fron 

the  blood;  located  on  top  of  kidneys. 
Bladder,  5x3x5  in.;  capacity  1  pint;  handles  product  of  the  kidneys  daily. 
Mesentery,  folds  of  peritoneum  attached  to  the  intestines;  organ  of  assimilation. 

Jejunum,  8  feet. 


Intestines . 


Small 


Large . 


Procreative  Organs. . 


Male 


\ 


Female . 


Ileum,  11  feet. 

Caecum,  2x3  inches. 

Colon,  5  feet;  capacity  1  gallon. 

Rectum,  last  6  inches  of  the  intestines. 

Semeniferous  tubules,  in  testicles. 

Epididymis,  20  feet  duct    wound   in   smal 

space  on  top  of  the  testes  and  connect 

ing  them  with  the 
Vas  deferens,  2    feet   long,   which    deliver* 

the  semen  to  the 
Vesiculae  semenales,  two  pear-shaped  bodies 

2  inches  long,  on  the  inner  surface  o: 

the  badder,  next  the  rectum. 
Ejaculatory  ducts,  %"  inch  long  into 
Urethra,  7  to  8  inches  long. 
Prostate  gland,  i^xix^  inches;  weighs  % 
.  oz. ;  secretes  vitalizing  fluid  for  semen 

Vagina,  5  to  7  inches. 

Uterus,  3x2x1  inches. 

Fallopian  tubes,  5  inches  each;  calibre  i-k 
inch. 

Ovaries,  i^x^x^  inch;  weigh  )/2  oz.  each 

Graafian  vesicles,  1-80  to  ye  inch,  contain 

Ova,  each  1-120  inch. 

Pseudo  prostate  gland,  a  ring  of  muscl< 
structure  around  the  neck  of  the  blad 
der  in  which  is  often  found  stricturi 
and  inflammation,  similar  to  prostati 
tis,  causing  polyuria. 


CLINICAL  PORTION 


THE  EYES  AS  FACTORS  IN  ANALYSIS 


licCormick    Neurological    College    Methods    Compared    With    Those    of  the   Old 

Medical  Schools. 


The  necessity  for  better  general  knowledge  of  eyes,  their  treatment 
and  maltreatment  is  exemplified  daily  in  the  work  of  oculists  and  opticians. 
The  public  should  be  educated  to  know  how  to  judge  the  service  it  gets* 
I  have  before  me,  as  I  write,  a  pamphlet  entitled  "A  Symposium  of  Diseases 
of  the  Conjunctiva,  by  a  professor  of  ophthalmology  in  Illinois  Medical 
College.".  It  is  a  reprint  from  a  medical  journal  and  is  being  circulated 
at  this  time  with  no  other  evident  view  than  that  of  advertising  the 
author,  which  I  hold  is  legitimate,  if  he  chooses  to  do  it ;  but  it  is  certainly 
a  violation  of  the  code  of  ethics,  which  forbids  advertising,  therefore  it  is 
inconsistent.  But  that  is  not  the  worst  of  it.  Its  contents  are  about  as 
old  as  the  hills  and  the  practices  advocated  have  been  disproved  abundantly. 
I  also  have  before  me  a  copy  of  "Diseases  of  the  Eye/'  by  W.  Lawrence, 
F.  R.  S.,"  bearing  date  1834,  and  comparison  of  the  two  documents  fails  to 
note  any  difference  between  the  old  school  methods  of  today  and  those 
employed  seventy-one  years  ago,  calomel  for  the  stomach  and  bowels, 
with  nitrate  of  silver  and  bichloride  of  mercury  lotions  being  the  principal 
treatments  advocated  in  both.  The  older  one  used  venesection,  electricity, 
cupping  and  blisters  applied  to  the  nape  of  the  neck,  leeches,  etc.,  while 
the  younger  only  adds  such  philosophy  as  this:  "The  physician's  judg- 
ment must  be  relied  upon,  for  I  can  conceive  of  a  word,  even  of  caution, 
dropping  into  the  ear  of  the  skeptical,  being  capable  of  arousing  grave 
suspicion  in  the  patients'  minds,  producing  endless  annoyance  to  the  physi- 
cian. In  this,  as  at  many  other  times  in  the  physician's  life,  'A  closed 
mouth  maketh  a  wise  head.' " 


60  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS.  * 

The  younger  one  writes  glibly  of  the  varieties  of  conjunctivitis  as 
catarrhal,  phlyctenular,  trachoma,  contagious,  epidemic,  purulent,  gonor- 
rhoea!, croupous,  vernal,  follicular,  diphtheretic,  etc.,  and  cites  as  causes 
everything  from  ' 'staphylococcus  pyogenes  aureus"  to  a  simple  "cold  in  the 
head,"  which  he  hastens  to  explain  is  "coryza"  lest  some  one  will  conclude 
he  lacks  education.  But  the  elder  leads  him  by  several  points,  with  "con- 
junctivitis catarrhalis,"  "conjunctivitis  puro-mucosa  atmospherica,"  etc. . 

That  their  treatment  is  experimental  is  proved  by  the  younger  in  these 
words:  "In  some  cases  of  trachoma,  unfortunately,  the  recurrences  are 
so  numerous  and  so  stubborn  that  time  and  opportunity  permit  the  use 
of  all  the  approved  methods  of  treatment,  and  yet  the  diseases  progress 
to  ultimate  loss  of  vision  of  one  or  both  eyes."  The  older  one  testifies: 
"Under  the  head  of  chemical  stimuli,  or  irritants,  it  would  not  be  proper  to 
omit  the  mention  of  numerous  matters  applied  to  the  eye  under  the  name 
of  remedies.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  most  delicate  and  sensible  organ  of 
the  body  had  been  selected  for  the  most  violent  applications.  Powdered 
glass  and  sugar,  wine  and  tincture  of  opium,  electricity  and  galvanism, 
spirituous  and  ammoniacal  vapors,  are  the  mildest  of  the  ordinary  local 
stimuli.  Subacetate  of  lead,  white  and  red  precipitate,  nitrate  of  mercury, 
oxide  of  zinc,  alum,  the  sulphates  of  zinc  and  copper,  nitrate  of  silver,  and 
oxymuriate  of  mercury,  are  applied  daily  to  the  eye  in  the  form  of  solution 
and  various  other  shapes." 

That  the  profession  has  retrograded  is  proved  by  many  things  but 
this  one  illustration  will  suffice.  Today,  for  overflow  of  tears,  the  oculists 
probe  the  nasal  duct  and  call  it  a  modern  invention.  It  is  as  old  as  the 
devil.  Dr.  Lawrence,  of  seventy-one  years  ago,  says:  "I  have  never  seen 
obstruction  of  the  lachrymal  canals  except  as  a  consequence  of  injury, 
operation,  or  the  pressure  of  tumors;  the  use  of  probes,  therefore,  in  ref- 
erence to  these  canals,  is  unnecessary." 

Neither  of  the  writers  referred  to,  and  very  few  of  the  current  books 
and  periodicals  ever  refer  to  errors  of  refraction  as  even  a  possible  cause  of 
these  wonderful  (?)  diseases.  With  them  everything  is  "specific"  cause 
and  "specific*  remedy,  and  out  of  their  own  mouths  they  are  convicted  of 
culpable  ignorance  of  the  anatomy  and  physiology,  chemistry  and  mechanics 
of  not  only  the  eyes,  but  of  the  entire  body. 

The  neurologist  utilizes  electricity  in  his  practice,  but  not  that  of  a 
galvanic  battery  or  of  an  artificial  dynamic  current.  He  knows  the 
nervous  system  of  his  patient  is  a  natural  dynamic  and  galvanic  current 
and  he  knows  that  only  mechanical  or  chemical  causes  can  exist.  He 
knows  the  mechanism  of  the  accommodation  and  of  the  nervous  system 
generally,  and,  as  the  true  mechanic  and  chemist  should,  he  looks  for  the 
most  likely  cause  first,  and  goes  along  the  line  until  he  finds  the  cause  or 
causes,  removes  them,  when  he  knows  the  symptoms  will  disappear,  with 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  6 1 

reasonable  care.  He  uses  on  the  inflammations  named  so  strenuously  and 
treated  so  vigorously  by  the  old  and  young  fossils,  nothing  stronger  than 
cold  salt  water  and  rest,  with  hot  water  applications  in  cases  of  suppura- 
tion, to  keep  the  parts  clean.  And  he  gets  good  results  every  time.  The 
water  and  salt  are  not  used  as  treatment,  in  the  sense  the  others  use  boric 
acid,  mercury,  etc.,  but  in  the  sense  that  rest  is  prescribed ;  a  simple  matter 
of  cleanliness  and  opportunity  for  the  natural  electric  current  to  resume 
or  assume  a  normal  distribution. 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  the  action 
of  the  heart,  lungs,  and  every  function  of  every  part  of  the  body  is  pro- 
duced and  maintained  by  the  action  of  the  nervous  system,  positively  and 
negatively.  There  must  be  a  supply  of  nerve  force  equal  to  the  demands, 
and  its  circulation  must  be  rythmic,  otherwise  there  will  be  the  opposite, 
discord,  and  the  symptoms  will  be  as  varied  as  the  classes  of  people  exhib- 
iting them. 

Normally  the  eyes  require  no  nerve  force  other  than  the  passive  cur- 
rent which  should  be  present  at  all  times,  to  complete  the  functions 
of  sensation  and  involuntary  or  subconscious  motion,  except  when  they 
are  being  used  for  near  work,  where,  the  average  distance  being  thirteen 
inches  the  demand  for  voluntary  purposes  is  4.50  units  in  each  eye.  The 
unit  having  been  called  diopter  elsewhere,  will  so  be  called  here:  The 
number  of  minutes  devoted  to  near  points,  during  the  waking  hours,  aver- 
ages three  hours,  therefore,  a  person  with  normal  eyes  uses  for  this  purpose, 

For  Accommodation,  L.  3.00 

R.  3.00  6  D. 

For  Convergence,         L.  1.50. 

Automatically,  R.  1.50  3  D. 

9.  D.  per  second. 

9  X  60  X  60  X  3  =  97,200  D.  for  3  hours. 

This  is  all  used  by  the  branches  of  the  third  cranial  nerves  to  the 
ciliary  sphincters  and  the  internal  recti;  the  other  branches  of  the  same 
nerves  and  the  second,  fourth,  sixth,  and  ophthalmic  divisions  of  the  fifth, 
require  so  little  during  the  entire  day  that  nature  adapts  them  to  the 
situation  and  they  suffer  little  or  no  irritation  from  the  temporary  increased 
current,  merely  increase  their  tension  during  the  time,  so  we  ascribe  to 
them,  in  the  absence  of  facilities  to  measure  it  exactly,  a  consumption  of 
2,800  D.  daily,  which  makes  the  total  demands  of  the  normal  eyes  100,000 
D.  daily.  As  they  receive  their  currents  through  four  and  one-third  pairs, 
36  per  cent  of  the  twelve  pairs  of  cranial  nerves,  or  10  per  cent  of  the 
entire  number  of  nerves  in  the  body,  it  is  a  fair  estimate  to  place  the 
normal  demands  of  the  entire  body  at  ten  times  as  much,  or  1,000,000  D. 
daily.  This,  if  true,  must  represent  the  average  capacity  of  the  producing 
apparatus.     In  some  people  the  demands  are  more  and  in  some  less  thar 


62  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

the  average,  but  in  the  first  class  there  is  danger  of  irritation  and  in  the 
second  of  atrophy  of  parts  from  non-use.  This  is  why  the  over-active 
person  breaks  down  suddenly  and  the  lazy  person  grows  lazier  slowly  until 
he  gets  too  lazy  to  breathe. 

More  than  99  per  cent  of  all  people  are  lacking  in  development  of 
some  part,  and  at  least  90  per  cent  are  deficient  in  the  eyes.  But,  the 
eyes  have  an  advantage  over  all  other  organs  in  that  they  can  use  the 
machinery  placed  therein  for  natural  purposes,  to  conceal  the  defect,  at 
least  so  far  as  vision  is  concerned,  although  it  is  a  decided  general  sys- 
temic disadvantage  as  will  be  seen  by  the  description  of  the  defect  known 
as  hypermetropia  or  farsightedness  and  the  effects  of  the  efforts  of  ac- 
commodation. 

The  hypermetrope  of  1.00  D.  is  one  whose  eyes  are  deficient  to  the  ex- 
tent they  require  -j-  1.00  lenses  to  make  them  emmetropic,  or  ideally  per- 
fect.. In  such  cases,  in  order  to  see  at  a  distance  the  accommodation  is 
called  into  play  i.oo  D.  in  each  eye.  Under  natural  conditions  this  de- 
mand would  also  require  a  convergent  effort  of  .50  D.  in  each  internal 
rectus,  and  it,  therefore,  comes  automatically;  but,  as  it  is  not  needed  in 
this*  instance  it  would  create  diplopia,  so  the  controlling  center  in  the 
brains  sends  to  the  external  recti,  by  way  of  the  sixth  nerves,  sufficient  in- 
nervation to  prevent  the  convergence,  which,  of  course,  must  be  .50  D. 
each.     Therefore  the  demands  of  this  hyperope  are: 

For  accommodation,  L.  1.00 

R.  1.00    2.00  D. 

For  Automatic  Convergence,   L.  .50 

R.  .50 

Negative  pull  through  6th         L.  .50 

nerves  to  external  recti.     R.  .50     2.  D. 


4.  D.  per  second. 

4  X  60  X  60  X 16  =  230,400  D.  for  16  hours  work. 

All  this  only  succeeds  in  accomplishing  emmetropia,  when  the  reg- 
ular daily  quota  of  1,000,000  must  be  furnished  for  the  average  person. 
If  the  reader  knows  anything  of  the  law  of  ratios  and  will  observe  that  the 
estimates  applied  to  the  first  are  applied  to  the  second  without  change, 
he  will  see  at  once,  that  while  part  of  the  figures  are  hypothetical,  they 
are  based  on  absolute  fact  in  the  first  instance  and  the  excess  demand  for 
hyperopia,  being  all  fact,  makes  the  ratio  absolute  so  that  no  matter  what 
future  developments  in  the  facilities  for  taking  nerve  measurements  may 
occur,  they  cannot  fail  to  establish  the  ratio,  because  mathematics  is  law, 
natural  law,  which  reaches  but  one  conclusion:  A  hyperope  of  1.00  D.  re- 
quires 23  per  cent,  above  normal  nerve  supply. 

Now  for  the  effects:     It  will  be  admitted  that  no  set  of  machinery 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


63 


made  by  man  could  stand  23  per  cent  excess  demands  upon  its  capacity 
for  any  length  of  time  and  some  may  even  declare  that  no  infinitely  made 
machine  can  do  it  either.  With  the  latter  I  agree,  but  not  to  the  extent  of 
a  general  smash-up  such  as  we  would  expect  of  an  implement  because 
Nature  has  arranged  compensatory  emergency  apparatus  through  which 
not  only  are  sent  such  danger  signals  as  fever,  pain,  pallor,  flushing,  etc., 
but  in  extraordinary  cases  she  suspends  locomotion,  or  some  other  func- 
tion sufficiently  to  incapacitate  and  intimidate  the  mentality  in  charge  of 
an  individual  so  that,  at  least  temporarily,  the  excess  demand  ceases,  when 
by  natural  processes  the  supply  is  recuperated. 

The  mental  exhibits  of  nerve  strain  to  the  point  of  irritation,  from  any 
cause,  are  irrascibility,  unsteadiness  of  thought  and  action,  lapses  of  mem- 
ory, suspicion,  insomnia,  suicidal  insanity.  If  the  strain  has  reached  the 
point  of  partial  or  complete  exhaustion,  the  exhibits  range  from  the  above 
named  in  milder  forms  down  to  melancholia  and  imbecility. 

The  physiological  exhibits  are :  Derangement  of  the  digestive  apparatus 
from  simple  acidity  of  the  stomach  to  biliousness,  constipation,  piles,  diar- 
rhoea, intussusception  or  appendicitis,  albumenuria,  enuresis,  amenorrhea, 
dysmenorrhoea,  chlorosis,  incontinence,  impotence  and  any  of  the  old 
schools  so-called  bad  diseases,  beside  headache,  ophthalmia  and  the  milder 
ills. 

I  do  not  believe  anyone  will  have  the  temerity  to  deny  these  facts, 
although  I  am  not  so  sure  they  will  accept  the  following  with  com- 
placency, nor  do  I  care.  I  am  ready  for  a  clinical  contest  any  time  the 
objectors  want  it,  making  only  one  provision,  viz.:  that  the  public  shall 
have  the  benefit  of  the  results. 

First,  hyperopia  is  the  primary  cause,  or  one  of  the  primary  causes  of 
nearly  all  human  ills.  Second,  the  ignorance  of  the  general  practitioner  in 
this  matter  is  disgraceful ;  that  of  the  oculist,  criminal. 

The  constant  effort  of  the  accommodation  in  hyperopia  during  waking 
hours,  contrasted  with  the  state  of  comparative  rest  in  emmetropia,  is,  in 
itself,  enough  to  cause  irritation  of  the  entire  ciliary  body  in  addition  to 
the  extra  demands  on  the  nerve  supply.  But  that  is  not  by  any  means  the 
worst  it  does ;  and  this  the  oculists  do  not  appear  to  understand. 

Electricians  use  the  terms,  volt,  ampere,  watt,  ohm,  etc.  An  ohm  is 
the  unit  of  resistance ;  a  volt  is  the  unit  of  electro-motive  force ;  an  ampere 
is  the  unit  of  measure  of  current,  and  a  watt  is  one  volt-ampere,  signify- 
ing that  two  units  are  expressed  in  one.  The  ohm  is  based  upon  the  re- 
sistance of  a  piece  of  pure  silver  wire  one  meter  long  and  one  millimeter 
thick.  It  is  a  law  of  electricity  that  the  current  varies  directly  subject  to 
the  electromotor  force  and  inversely  subject  to  the  resistance.  In  the 
nervous  system  we  have  no  department  that  is  poised  so  delicately  as  the 
sphincter  muscles  and  peristalic  apparatus.     Therefore  it  is  plain  that  ex- 


64  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

cess  wattage  in  the  nervous  system  will  always  take  the  course  of  least 
resistance,  which  is  in  the  departments  named,  because  their  natural  elas- 
ticity tends  to  contract  and  they  encourage  the  impulses  toward  them- 
selves. This  more  particularly  when  the  original  demand  is  from  one 
of  them  as  it  is  in  hyperopia.  The  constant  demands  of  the  accommoda- 
tion keep  a  constant  excess  wattage  on  all  wires  and  it  finds  its  way 
to  the  nerves  which  operate  the  openings  throughout  the  body,  such  as 
the  mouth,  the  uterus,  the  anus,  the  bladder,  the  lachrymal  glands,  all 
secretory  systems,  and  also  to  the  canals  such  as  the  esophagus,  the  in- 
testines, the  lymphatics  and  the  blood  vessels.  Now  herein  lies  the  secret 
of  the  troubles  and  the  proof  of  the  law  referred  to  above :  The  direct  or 
positive  current  goes  out  along  the  muscular  walls  of  the  arteries,  subject 
to  the  electromotor  force,  but  the  return  current  being  the  subject  of  a 
weakened  force  behind  it  and  a  sustained  and  even  increased  resistance 
by  way  of  the  walls  of  the  veins  is  retarded,  thus  blood  is  sent  to  the 
periphery  faster  than  it  can  be  returned  and  congestion  of  the  vascular  tis- 
sues in  the  vicinity  of  the  sphincter  nerves  and  muscles  is  only  a  natural 
result.  Hence  conjunctivitis,  prostatitis,  metritis,  ovaritis,  fallopianitis, 
amenorrhoea,  dysmenorrhoea,  menorrhagia,  and  so  on  down  to  the  operat- 
ing room,  one  of  the  most  damnable  and  at  the  same  time  most  beneficial 
places  on  earth.  Not  only  that,  but  like  all  other  -j-  elements,  this  path 
of  least  resistance  becomes  a  negative  quantity  after  it  passes  its  limit 
angle  and  the  spasm,  which  produced  the  conditions  above,  involves  per- 
istalsis of  the  intestines,  interferes  with  egestion,  this  affects  digestion, 
this,  in  turn,  refuses  to  accept  the  products  of  the  liver,  it  becomes  clogged, 
leaving  more  for  the  kidneys  than  they  can  do  and  the  results  are  nephritis 
blood  poison  and  other  symptoms  termed,  ridiculously,  diseases.  I  say 
ridiculously,  because  disease  is  merely  a  state  or  condition,  an  effect,  while 
old  school  doctors  insist  upon  viewing  diseases  as  causes.  As  I  have 
shown  elsewhere  in  this  work,  they  make  them  the  sole  object  of  treatment 
while  neurologists  use  them  only  as  guides  to  the  causes. 

The  best  proof  we  could  ask  for  our  philosophy  lies  in  the  fact  that 
while  they  confess  conjunctivitis  often  discomfits  them  with  all  their  drugs 
and  appliances  we  declare  it  is  because  they  do  not  correct  the  hyperopia, 
which  we  always  do,  and  have  never  failed  to  save  the  eyes  and  vision, 
except  where  they  were  either  neglected  so  long,  or  were  so  maltreated  by 
oculists  that  they  were  hopeless  cases  from  the  first.  But  we  have  also 
taken  many  that  appeared  hopeless,  right  from  Chicago  hospitals  and  ocu- 
lists, and  recorded  their  recovery  in  two.  weeks.  A  case  in  point  is :  F.  H. 
Carstens,  of  Peotone,  111.,  aged  14,  came  to  me  November  11,  1904,  having 
been  treated  by  Dr.  Starkey,  oculist,  for  catarrhal  conjunctivitis  for  twc 
years  without  relief.  Intense  congestion  of  conjunctiva,  many  phlycten- 
ules, much  photophobia,  proving  cyclitis  and  retinitis,  pain  in  eyeballs, 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


65 


proving  tonic  spasm.  His  father  said  Dr.  Starkey  always  contended  the 
boy  did  not  need  glasses.  I  gave  him  -f-  2.00  on  general  principles  to  stop 
accommodative  possible  effort  until  I  could  get  him  in  shape  for  examin- 
ation, instructed  the  father  to  see  that  he  kept  the  eyes  clean  with  warm 
water  in  the  mornings,  followed  by  cold  salt  water  compresses  about  tf*ree 
times  daily  for  twenty  minutes,  one  of  them  being  at  bedtime,  ordered  him 
to  snuff  strong  salt  water  up  his  nasal  passages  four  or  five  times  a  day, 
sleep  all  he  could  and  remain  indoors  until  congestion  disappeared.  He 
reported  on  December  3d,  just  twelve  days  later,  sound  as  a  dollar  and 
seeing  20/30  -f-  with  the  -f-  2.00  which  careful  examination  revealed  to 
be  the  full  correction  for  hyperopia,  which  Dr.  Starkey,  oculist,  could  not 
find,  or  at  least  did  not  find.  I  give  names  because  if  I  did  not  the  medical 
trust  would  say  I  am  a  liar.  As  it  is  they  will  say  I  am  unethical.  I  am 
satisfied,  if  the  trust  is. 

It  is  not  only  the  sins  of  omission  I  condemn  but  those  of  commission 
as  well.  When  they  attempt  to  fit  glasses  it  is  without  a  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  either  optics,  ophthalmology,  neurology  or  anything  else 
that  is  absolutely  essential.  Here  is  one  of  Dr.  Harper's  cases,  he  who, 
once  upon  a  time,  conducted  an  optical  college  in  Chicago: 

Mrs.  G.,  of  Earlville,  came  to  me  on  April  14,  1904,  a  long  time  suf- 
ferer from  indigestion,  dysmenorrhoea  followed  by  menorrhagia,  prolapsus 
uteri,  treatment  by  local  doctor,  and  eye  trouble  for  which  Dr.  Bergeson, 
now  of  Boston,  treated  her  a  long  time,  then  turned  her  over  to  Dr.  H.,  who,, 
she  said,  operated  three  times.     She  came  to  me  wearing: 

L.  +  .25  +  -75  ax-  9°      2  */2  degree  prism,  base  in. 
R.  +  .25  +  .75  ax.  90      3  degree  prism,  base  in. 

A  hasty  examination  revealed  an  acute  irritation  of  the  nervous  system, 
so  I  gave  temporary  lenses,  +  1.75  and  a  dietary,  directing  her  to  return 
in  three  weeks.  As  her  nerve  supply  measured,  it  indicated  quick  recuper- 
ative powers,  I  assured  her  she  would  have  no  further  trouble  and  I  would 
complete  my  work  with  one  more  visit.  She  had  been  menstruating  every 
three  weeks,  and  when  I  informed  her  she  would  go  to  the  regular  term  she 
naturally  doubted,  but  did  not  expose  it  until  two  days  before  the  date  ■ 
fixed  for  her  second  visit  when  I  received  a  letter  saying  she  would  prefer 
to  wait  a  week  as  the  date  fell  on  her  "sick-time."  I  replied  no  harm 
could  come  from  waiting  a  week,  which  she  did.  Then  she  confessed 
that  her  menses  delayed  until  the  Saturday  before  her  visit,  but  added 
that  instead  of  going  to  bed,  as  usual,  she  took  the  train  for  Chicago 
shopped  all  day,  spent  Sunday  visiting  parks,  etc.,  with  friends,  and  re- 
ported to  me  Monday,  May  16.     My  final  correction  was: 

L  +  1. 00  +  .50  ax.  90. 
L.  +  1.00  +  -50  ax-  9°- 


66 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


She  has  been  perfectly  well  of  all  her  troubles  ever  since  and  knows, 
not  only  why  she  recovered,  but  how  to  keep  well. 

Analysis  of  the  eye  measurements  shows  the  following : 

fl,0V 


ViK 


JZJL 


Fig.  58 


with  Dr.  Harper's  alleged  correction  the  condition  produced  was 


t-rr 


L+{ 


4rSo 


Fig.  59 


requiring  a  nervous  effort  equal  to  the  maximum  amount  of  uncorrected 
hyperopia  with  its  associated  demands. 

For  Accommodation,  L.  .75 

R.  .75       1.50 

For  Automatic  Convergence,   L.  .37V2 

R-  -37V2  i-50 
For  Negative  Pull,  L.  .37V2 

R-  -3772 

Total,  3.  D.  per  second, 
to  which  must  be  added  some  increased  negative  pull  for  S1//  prism  base 
in  which  averages  8,640  D.  daily  for  each  degree,  or  47,520  D.  daily,  which 
in  turn  had  to  be  counterbalanced  by  a  convergent  pull  through  the  internal 
recti,  making  another  47,520  D.  or  a  total  of  95,040  D.  to  be  added  to  the 
172,800  D.  caused  by  the  uncorrected  hyperopia,  making  a  grand  total  of 
267,840  D.  daily  strain..  Her  real  error,  as  indicated  by  my  prescription, 
caused  345,600  D.  daily  strain,  or  341/-  Per  cent  above  the  normal  demand; 
but  all  his  operations  and  glasses  still  left  263/4  per  cent  still  draining,  so 
it  is  easy  to  see  why  she  did  not  get  well. 

This  through  her  eyes  alone;  then  her  habits  of  diet  were  just  the  re- 
verse of  what  they  should  be  and  with  the  quality  and  quantity  regulated, 
her  mind  freed  from  worry  by  a  clear  understanding  of  what  we  were  do- 
ing, why  we  were  doing  it,  and  how  it  was  done,  she  could  not  have  failed 
to  make  the  recovery  she  did. 

Incidentally  this  case  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  operation  of  the 
neurometer  in  affording  corroboration  of  our  work.  At  the  first  examina- 
tion she  accepted  only  -\-  1.25  but  as  she  showed  20  -f-  impulse  by  the 


Jlfe^ 


Ik 


CLINICAL  PORTION*  fa 

static  test  I  added  -f  .50  arbitrarily,  making  -f-  1.75.  The  dynamic  test 
before  attempting  to  measure  the  error  was  6.50  D.,  with  -f  1.75  it  was  9; 
this  9  D.  indicates,  by  the  neurometer.  23  years,  4  months;  adding  6  years, 

4  months,  for  her  error,  made  a  total  of  29  years,  8  months ;  then  I  added 

5  years  for  the  intellectual  development,  making  a  grand  total  of  34  years, 
8  months.  I  made  no  deduction  for  her  history  because  of  the  presence 
of  the  +  symptoms  which  offset  the  —  ones.  She  said  she  was  35  ex- 
actly. Hence  I  knew  I  was  right  all  the  way  through,  and  when  I  gave 
final  correction  I  left  .25  hyperopia  uncorrected  to  give  her  splendid  vision, 
because,  while  it  causes  6  per  cent  excess  demand  on  the  nerve  supply,  she 
knows  how  to  save  it  in  other  directions.  Those  who  are  disposed  to  apply 
my  own  criticisms  to  this  must  remember  not  only  the  reasons  above,  but 
also  that  I  had  not  figured  it  against  Dr.  Harper;  if  I  had  I  would  have 
shown  his  treatment  as  saving  exactly  the  same  per  cent  (73/4)  of  the  real 
amount,  just  as  it  does  as  figured..  More  proof  of  the  law  of  ratios. 

ALLEGED   DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 
A  Criticism  of  Old  Methods  and  Offer  of  a  Better  System  of  Treatment. 

Nothing  perpetrated  in  the  name  of  medicine  by  the  old  schools  is  so 
reprehensible  as  their  diagnosis  and  treatment  of  the  disorders  peculiar  to 
the  female  sex.  In  efforts  to  keep  their  profession  as  mysterious  as  theologi- 
cal dogmas,  doctors  have  strayed  from  the  path  of  simplicity  and  direct- 
ness so  far  it  is  doubtful  if  many  ever  return.  They  have  magnified  non- 
essential details  until  they  are  unable  to  differentiate  between  the  important 
and  the  obscure.  They  have  puffed  themselves  up  so  they  have  forgotten 
Nature's  part.  If  a  patient  recovers  under  their  treatment  it  was  purely 
skill ;  if  one  dies,  it  is  an  act  of  providence.  If  an  operation  is  performed, 
it  is  always  successful ;  if  the  patient  succumbs,  it  was  the  fault  of  the 
nurse.  The  unsexing  of  women  has  become  so  common  that  in  the  large 
cities  it  is  done  at  least  half  a  dozen  times  daily. 

Statistics  show  that  of  castrated  women,  about  75  per  cent  subsequently 
suffered  loss  of  memory ;  60  per  cent  were  troubled  with  flashes  of  heat  and 
vertigo ;  50  per  cent  confessed  to  a  change  in  their  character,  having  become 
more  irritable,  less  patient,  and  some  of  them  so  changed  as  to  give  way  to 
violent  fits  of  temper;  42  per  cent  suffered  from  mental  depression,  and  10 
per  cent  verged  upon  melancholia.  In  75  per  cent  there  was  diminution  of 
the  sexual  desire,  and  some  had  none;  13  per  cent  were  not  relieved  of  the 
pains  from  which  they  suffered;  35  per  cent  became  abnormally  fat.  Some 
complained  of  deficient  vision;  12  per  cent  noted  a  change  in  their  voices  to 
a  masculine  quality;  15  per  cent  suffered  irregular  attacks  of  skin  affec- 
tions; 25  per  cent  had  severe  headaches,  and  as  many  complained  of  night- 
mare ;  10  per  cent  suffered  from  insomnia.  In  a  few  cases  there  was  a  sexual 
hyperexcitability  not  present  before  the  operation.     Gastric  reflexes  were 


68 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


common,  such  as  fermentation  and  its  consequent  effects,  gastralgia,  sour 
stomach,  flatulency,  etc. 

Neurologists  have  taken  a  great  many  of  these  cases  and  have  relieved 
them  of  much  of  their  trouble ;  in  quite  a  large  number  they  were  restored 
to  camparative  health,  but,  of  course,  it  would  be  foolish  to  attempt  to 
make  perfect  women  of  such  cases,  because  Nature  has  been  outraged ;  they 
are  not  all  there.  Our  great  hope  is  that  we  may  get  them  before  the 
crime  has  been  committed,  when  we  can  not  only  render  such  aid  to 
Nature  that  she  will  restore  health,  but  we  avoid  the  possibilities  of  anes- 
thetics, operations  and  unnecessary  suffering. 

Fig.  60  shows  the  arrangement  of  the  uterus,  ovaries,  etc.,  and  the 
following  brief  explanation  will  be  sufficient  to  understand:     The  vagina, 


not  shown  in  the  cut,  is  the  cavity  into  which  the  uterus  empties;  it  also 
protects  the  latter  from  exposure  to  atmospheric  changes  and  traumatic 
injuries;  its  secretory  glands,  like  the  salivary  glands  of  the  mouth,  lubri- 
cate its  mouth  and  walls  so  that  when  the  proper  preliminary  excitement 
has  occurred  between  male  and  female  the  male  organ  enters  easily  without 
friction,  hence  no  possible  laceration.  In  cases  of  rape  of  children  and  even 
of  mature  females  there  is  usually  laceration  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the 
vagina  because  of  its  dryness  and  the  force  used.  It  is  no  proof  of  con- 
sent, however,  to  find  no  laceration,  for,  even  under  the  pressure  of  fear, 
especially  in  married  women,  there  would  be  automatic  lubrication. 

Referring  to  the  figure:  A  is  the  body  of  the  uterus,  U  the  neck,  B 
the  fundus,  and  Os  the  mouth ;  C1  and  C2  are  the  ovaries ;  T,  T,  are  the  tubes 
connecting  the  ovaries  with  F  and  F,  the  fallopian  tubes ;  G  and  G,  are  the 
ligaments  of  the  ovaries ;  D  and  D  are  the  round  ligaments  which  balance 
the  uterus;  H  and  H  are  the  broad  ligament  which  is  formed  by  folds  of 
peritoneum  and  encloses  the  uterus,  ovaries,  tubes,  etc. ;  E  and  E  are  called 
the  pavilions  of  the  fallopian  tubes,  because  they  enclose  the  mouths  of 
the  tubes  from  the  ovaries  and  receive  the  eggs  when  they  start  on  their 
journey  to  the  uterus. 

All  organs  and  tubes  being  of  more  or  less  muscular  structure  it  follows 
that  they  have  nerves,  for  without  them  muscles  would  be  nothing  but 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


69 


ligaments,  having  power  only  in  passive  elasticity;  these  nerves  are 
branches  of  the  3d  and  4th  sacral  with  supplementary  power  from  the  local 
plexuses. 

C2,  in  the  figure,  shows  one  ovary  laid  open  showing  the  corpus  lutea 
or  yellow  bodies,  developed  from  the  ovasacs  or  Graafian  vesicles.  When 
they  have  reached  maturity  their  contents  are  expelled  by  the  contractions 
of  the  ovaries,  passed  into  the  tubes  and  on  to  the  uterus.  These  things 
are  constantly  maturing  in  some  people,  in  others  they  are  irregular  and  in 
none  is  there  any  certain  time  when  they  are  not  at  work,  therefore  all 
stories  about  there  being  times  when  there  is  no  liability  of  impregnation 
are  false.  It  is  true  that  just  before  menstruation  in  some,  just  after  in 
others,  and  both  immediately  before  and  after  in  others,  there  is  greater 
activity,  and  more  of  the  vesicles  develop,  so  there  would  naturally  be  more 
liability  at  those  times. 

Now,  here  is  where  my  old  fogy  friend,  the  old  school  doctor  is  going 
to  sneer  and  ridicule,  but  I  anticipate  him  with  a  proposition:  I  have 
proved  what  I  am  about  to  say,  so  abundantly  that  I  will  take  any  case  of 
the  class  described,  that  has  not  been  operated,  and  fix  it  so  Nature  will 
effect  a  cure  in  ninety  days  or  less  or  I  will  forfeit  a  thousand  dollars  to  the 
doctor  who  brings  the  case. 

In  hypermetropia,  where  the  demands  upon  the  nervous  system,  for 
accommodation,  are  excessive,  the  extraordinary  current  thus  made  neces- 
sary is  distributed,  as  described  in  the  chapter  preceding,  to  the  points  of 
least  resistance.  The  os  uterus  being  one  of  them  which  is  most  suscepti- 
ble because  of  its  intermittent  periodic  activity,  suffers  stricture.  The 
natural  effects  are:  first,  amenorrhoea,  because  in  the  immature  female, 
when  the  function  of  menstruation  has  not  yet  begun  it  is  arrested  in  its 
attempts  and  if  auto-intoxication  does  not  follow  in  acute  form  there  will, 
at  least,  be  interference  with  the  growth  of  the  child  and  in  many  cases 
there  is  general  debility,  followed  by  atrophy  which  is  known  as  tuberculo- 
sis, hasty  consumption,  etc.;  second,  dysmenorrhoea  in  those  in  whom  the 
function  obtains,  and  for  which  the  old  schools  prescribe  the  curette  and 
hysterectomy,  or  in  a  lewd  manner  suggest  marriage;  third,  dysmenor- 
rhoea plus  menorrhagia  and  shortening  of  the  period  between  the  menses 
which,  of  course,  produce  anaemia,  neurasthenia  and  often  melancholy; 
fourth,  the  peristalic  action  of  the  fallopian  tubes  becomes  involved  and 
cramp  of  the  ovaries  follows,  producing  pains,  sometimes  dull,  sometimes 
sharp ;  fifth,  the  vesicles  mature  and  the  ova,  being  retained,  decay,  forming 
cysts  or  tumors;  sixth,  the  hospital,  the  anesthetic,  the  surgeon,  castration 
and  possibly  death  from  shock  or  sepsis,  or,  escaping  these,  an  unhappy 
life,  because  all  good  women's  supreme  happiness  is  found  in  motherhood. 

Of  the  associated  ills  the  versions  and  flexions,  prolapsus,  metritis, 
leucorrhoea  and  bladder  troubles  are  the  most  common. 


JO 


XEUUOLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


When  the  nerve  strain,  from  whatever  cause  or  combination  of  causes, 
has  continued  until  the  limit  of  endurance  is  reached,  the  natural  result 
is  collapse ;  the  muscles  of  the  "broad  ligament"  relax  from  ennervation 
and  down  comes  the  womb;  as  it  falls  it  must  either  protrude  from  the 
mouth  of  the  vagina,  tilt  obliquely  across  that  canal,  usually  forward  or 
backward  on  account  of  the  round  ligaments,  or  double  on  itself.  In  any 
of  these  false  positions  there  is  pressure  on  the  bladder  or  rectum,  or  both,, 
causing  constipation,  a  frequent  desire  to  urinate,  bearing  down  sensations, 
accompanied  by  hot  and  cold  flashes  from  the  pressure  upon  the  heat 
nerves;  the  internal  effects  on  the  uterus  are  bad,  either  hypertrophy  or 
atrophy.  These  all  combine  to  make  the  patient  uncomfortable,  interfere 
with  the  machinery  generally,  and  make  mental  and  physical  wrecks.  They 
have  an  able  ally  in  the  patent  medicine  advertisements  and  even  in  the  old- 
school  doctors  who  would  not  depart  from  their  beaten  patns  for  anything 
short  of  a  general  catastrophe,  the  which  I  hope  to  create  with  this  work. 

Frequent  urination  is  not  always  a  symptom  of  pressure  on  the  out- 
side of  the  bladder.  It  is  often  the  product  of  stricture  of  the  muscular  ring 
around  the  neck  of  the  bladder,  which  I  have  named  elsewhere  a  "pseudo 
prostate,"  and  exhibits  in  the  spasm  stage  which  precedes  ennervation, 
only  yielding  enough  to  reduce  the  contents,  not  sufficiently  to  empty  the 
bladder.  I  have  had  many  cases  of  it  in  which  relief  was  permanent  after 
wearing  the  correction  for  hyperopia,  and  it  came  in  less  than  a  week.  Of 
course  the  dietary,  rest,  etc.,  were  strong  factors  in  the  matter  of  perma- 
nency. 

Leucorrhoea  is  often  due  to  the  general  weakened  conditions  from  the 
other  derangements,  but  is  also  found  in  women  who  eat  too  much  plus 
food,  and  in  those  who,  having  been  taught  that  the  vagina  must  never  be 
washed  except  with  physicians'  prescriptions,  at  so  much  per,  are  simply 
unclean.  Imagine  one  neglecting  to  wash  the  mouth  daily.  After  each 
menstrual  period  the  vagina  should  be  washed  thoroughly  with  hot  soap- 
suds, followed  by  a  rinsing  with  tepid  water  containing  about  one  to  two 
tablespoons  of  common  salt  to  two  quarts  of  water.  A  fountain  syringe 
and  corrugated  nozzle  should  be  used,  and  the  salt  dissolved  before  putting 
it  in  the  fountain ;  the  latter  should  be  used  once  daily.  The  mother  who 
fails  to  inform  her  daughter  of  the  nature  of  her  organs  and  their  proper 
care  is  a  criminal,  or  an  idiot.  The  worst  case  of  leucorrhoea  will  yield  to 
such  treatment  in  a  week,  provided  it  is  supplemental  to  the  correction  of 
errors  of  refraction,  diet,  habits,  etc.,  as  detailed  in  other  chapters. 

It  is  rarely  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  doctor  to  give  manual  treatments 
to  his  patients.  As  a  rule  if  they  follow  instructions  as  to  rest,  etc.,  Nature 
does  the  curing  in  short  order,  but  for  the  acute  pains  of  dysmenorrhoea,  if 
the  patient  is  laid  on  her  back  in  a  comfortable  position,  while  the  doctor 
applies  pressure  to  the  sacrum  with  one  hand  while  he  titilates  the  clitoris 


1 1 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


7* 


gently  with  the  other  for  about  twenty  minutes  or  even  longer,  he  will  find 
his  patient  growing  more  and  more  comfortable  and  finally  dropping  off 
in  sleep.  The  chronic  objector  will  say,  "Why  that  is  merely  creating 
sexual  excitement."  I  answer,  "Certainly,  that  is  one  of  the  most  natural 
conclusions  in  the  world."  The  rhythmic  action  of  the  nervous  waves  is 
thus  restored,  the  positive  action  is  followed  by  the  negative  reaction  and 
the  crisis  of  convulsions  is  averted.  It  is  one  of  the  essentials  of  a  good 
physician  to  be  able  to  utilize  Nature's  own  methods  to  set  her  machinery 
right  when  it  becomes  deranged.  Other  objections  only  occur  to  lewd 
minds.  The  treatment  is  never  needed  after  the  first  month,  and  often 
only  at  the  time  of  menstruation  which  occurs  so  soon  after  the  patient  is 
received  that  the  general  system  has  not  had  time  to  relax  from  action  of 
our  methods. 

The  menorrhagia  following  dysmenorrhoea ;  or  from  weakness,  even  to 
pcst-partum  hemorrhage,  may  be  arrested  instantly  by  taking  a  good  hoid 
of  the  hair  around  the  os  and  giving  a  quick  jerk.    This,  I  believe,  is  an 
osteopathic  trick,  is  painful,  but  only  for  a  moment,  and  is  effective  in 
establishing  inhibition.     It  is  reasonable  and  is  worthy  of  recognition  as  is 
also  the  matter  of  luxations  of  the  vertebrae.    Of  the  latter  I  have  had  one 
remarkable  case:     A  young  woman,  aged  22,  school  teacher,  cross-eyed 
(divergent  squint),  anaemic,  neurasthenic,  prolapsed  uterus,  and  all  the 
accessories.     Incidentally  she  told  me  she  never  could  wear  a  corset,  saying 
it  smothered  her.     I  found  one  of  the  lower  dorsal   (or  upper  lumbar,  I 
never  could  tell  which,  because  I  fixed  it  so  quickly  I  forgot  to  get  its 
name),  vertebra  decidedly  out  of  place,  and  without  a  word  I  put  my  left 
arm  around  her  and  pulled  her  backward,  as  she  stood,  over  my  right 
thumb,  when,  snap!  it  went  into  place.     She  gave  a  little  shriek,  but  that 
was  all.     In  two  days  she  reported  the   soreness  all   gone  and   in  three 
months  came  to  say  she  was  a  well  woman,  wore  a  corset,  like  other  folks, 
and  had  gained  nineteen  pounds.     Of  course  her  eye  correction,  her  dietary 
and  the  rest  she  took  contributed  in  accomplishing  what  the  fixing  of  the 
back  never  could  have  done  alone,  but  I  want  to  recognize  it  as  a  con- 
tributing cause  and  treatment.     At  the  same  time  I  have  no  hesitancy  in 
comparing  osteopathy,  chiropractic  and  similar  "schools"  with  the  prohibi- 
tion political  party — their  single  objectives  will  not  do. 

Neurology  is  neither  a  "pathy,"  an  "ism,"  nor  an  "ic."  It  is  a  rational 
procedure  from  start  to  finish.  It  opposes  the  use  of  drugs  and  operations, 
where  they  can  be  dispensed  with,  and  simply  seeks  to  broaden  that  field. 
It  recognizes  the  surgeon  as  one  of  the  necessary  evils  of  this  world  and 
the  drug  doctor  as  a  complacent  receptacle  (metaphorically,  of  course)  for 
the  few  cases  that  are  beyond  the  limit  angle  of  analysis  where  one  man's 
guess  is  as  good  as  another. 


72  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

THE  FITTING  OF  GLASSES. 
Cycloplegics  Are  a  Humbug  Suitable  Only  to  the  Oculists  Who  Use  Them. 

The  emphatic  assertions  of  some  writers  with  reference  to  the  value  of 
cycloplegics  are  unwarranted  by  the  facts.  I  assert  as  emphatically  the 
drugs  are  not  only  worthless,  but  inconvenient  and  dangerous.  I  will 
tender  a  few  reasons  for  my  claims. 

The  chief  reason  is  that  not  one  in  a  thousand  users  know  how  to  use  it, 
as  is  proved  by  their  utter  ignorance  of  how  to  tell  when  the  accommodation 
is  paralyzed;  and  if  it  is  incomplete  their  method  of  applying  lenses  could 
not  possible  do  more  than  approximate  the  spherical  part  of  the  correction 
and  very  rarely  even  do  that  much  with  the  astigmatism,  hence  their  asser7 
tion  that  "astigmatism  is  an  elusive  imp  of  mischief  and  it  requires  great 
keenness  and  patience  to  hunt  him  down.  His  hiding  place  is  the  ciliary, 
muscle  and  his  disguise  amblyopia.  He  hates  atropia  as  his  father  was  said 
to  hate  holy  water."  Let  one  of  the  partisans  of  atropine  instill  the  drug 
until  he  is  satisfied  the  accommodation  is  at  rest,  then,  if  he  can,  let  him 
fit  his  patient.  When  that  is  done,  add  +  3.00  for  the  13-inch  point.  If 
the  atropine  is  in  absolute  control  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  reading 
ordinary  print,  of  course.  Then  let  him  direct  the  patient  to  hold  the 
print  as  close  to  his  face  as  he  can  read,  measure  the  distance  in  inches, 
convert  it  into  diopters  and  whatever  it  amounts  to  over  3.00  is  the  unsup- 
pressed  accommodation.  If  any  demands  greater  proof  than  that  he  must 
apply  to  me  personally. 

Another  reason  is  that  anyone  who  really  knows  how  to  fit  glasses 
can  do  it  as  well,  or  better,  without  a  cycloplegic  than  with  it,  as  will  be 
shown  in  this  chapter. 

Another  is  that  when  the  drug  is  used  it  partly  disables  one  of  our 
greatest  allies  in  proving  our  work. 

Another  is  that  it  causes  great  inconvenience  to  the  patient,  at  least 
temporarily,  and  often  permanently  if  repeated  too  often — a  common  fault 
among  users,  who  thus  prove  they  are  not  sure  of  their  work  from  the 
results  of  one  test,  else  repeating  it  is  dishonesty  toward  the  patient. 

Another  is  that  after  the  work  is  done  under  atropine  they  dare 
not  prescribe  the  full  correction  found  because  the  patient  cannot  see 
well ;  hence  their  rule :  "Under  the  age  of  twenty  give  one-fourth  full  cor- 
rection; over  twenty  and  under  thirty,  give  one-half,  and  over  thirty,  give 
three-fourths  of  the  full  amount. 

Another  is  that  we  want  to  show  our  patients  exactly  the  condi- 
tions we  are  going  to  put  them  in  at  first,  and  why,  then  we  have  no  diffi- 
culty, except  when  some  wiseacres  interferes,  and  we  caution  patients 
against  all  such. 

Oculists  merely  treat  eyes  (most  of  them  maltreat),  while  neurologists 
use  the  eyes  to  measure  the  condition  of  the  nervous  system  and  must,  of 


CLINICAL  POETION. 


73 


course,  be  able  to  measure  their  defects  exactly  without  creating  any  unnat- 
ural conditions.  For  our  convenience  and  to  facilitate  explanations,  we 
classify  the  several  cases  we  meet  into  the  following : 

First — Those  with  good  vision. 

Second — Those  with  medium  vision. 

Third — Those  with  bad  vision. 

Fourth — Cross-eyes. 

Fifth — Those  with  spasm  of  accommodation. 

Sixth — Those  with  asthenopia. 

Seventh — Children  and  illiterates. 

Eighth — Old  people. 

Fig.  6 1  shows  the  proportions  of  the  letters  in  the  Snellen  Test  Chart. 
The  patient  being  seated  at  10,  15,  20,  30,  40,  50,  60,  80,  120,  160  or  200 
feet  from  it  should  read  the  type  corresponding  to  that  distance,  as  marked 
on  the  card.    The  usual  working  distances  are  15  and  20  feet.     Visual 


Fig.  61 

acuteness  is  expressed  in  fractions,  the  numerator  being  the  distance  and 
the  denominator  the  number  of  the  type  patient  reads;  thus,  if  seated  at 
20  feet  and  number  30  type  is  the  smallest  that  can  be  read  without  error, 
vision  would  be  recorded  20/30;  if  number  20  is  read  it  would  be  20/20 
which  equals  normal;  if  number  15  is  read  it  would  be  recorded  20/15. 
Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  card  only  a  few  feet  away;  one  eye 
may  have  20/20  vision  and  the  other  only  2/200,  that  is,  can  only  read  the 
largest  type  at  2  feet.  For  very  small  rooms  the  15  or  20  feet  distance 
may  be  obtained  by  using  a  mirror  and  a  card  printed  backwards  so  it  will,  * 


appear  correctly  in  the  mirror.     In  fitting  eyes  we  look  for : 

First,  +  spheres. 

Second,  —  cylinders. 

Third,  —  spheres. 

The  only  possible  results  are: 

First,  +  spheres  =  simple  hyperopia. 

Second,  +  spheres,  —  cylinders^  simple  hyperopic  astigmatism,  or 
compound  hyperopic  astigmatism,  or  mixed  astigmatism. 

Third,  —  cylinders  =  simple  myopic  astigmatism. 

Fourth,  —  cylinders,  —  spheres  =  compound  myopic  astigmatism. 
Fifth,  — spheres  =  simple  myopia. 


i 


74 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


The  second  are  the  only  ones  that  ever  need  correction  by  transposi- 
tion. If  the  cylinder  is  weaker  than  the  sphere  it  is  really  a  case  of  com- 
pound hyperopic  astigmatism  and  the  prescription  will  transpose  to  a  + 
sphere  and  +  cylinder.  If  the  cylinder  is  of  the  same  power  as  the  sphere 
it  is  a  case  of  simple  hyperopic  astigmatism  and  the  formula  will  transpose 
to  a  simple  cylinder.  If  the  sphere  is  the  stronger,  ever  so  little,  it  is  a 
case  of  mixed  astigmatism,  but  unless  it  is  at  least  twice  as  strong  as  the 
sphere  it  needs  transposing  to  get  it  into  its  simplest  form. 

A  short  way  to  transpose  a  prescription  that  needs  it  is:  Take  the 
difference  between  sphere  and  cylinder  for  the  new  sphere,  then  use  the 
power  of  old  cylinder,  changing  sign  and  axis.  Thus  the  three  possible 
cases  above  would  be:        Originals  Transposition. 

-f-  1.50  —    .50  ax.  180  =  -j-  1. 00  +   -5°  ax-  9°* 

+  1.50  —  1.50  ax.    45  =  +  1.50  ax.  135. 

-|-  1.50  —  2.50  ax.    30  =  —  1.00  +  2.50  ax.  1.20. 

We  proceed,  subjectively  (tests  with  retinoscopes,  refractometers, 
ophthalmoscopes,  ophthalmometers,  stigmatometers,  etc.,  are  merest  guess- 
work), as  follows: 

First,  Get  the  visual  acuteness  of  each  eye,  separately,  and  record  it. 
If  it  is  normal  it  proves  there  is  no  myopia ;  if  it  is  a  line  better  than  normal 
it  proves  there  is  hyperopia  of  at  least  1.00  D.  and  that  there  is  no  astigmat- 
ism worth  looking  for;  if  it  is  not  as  good  as  normal  it  may  be  hyperopia 
with  insufficient  accommodation,  or  it  may  be  astigmatism,  or  it  may  be 
myopia,  or  it  may  be  the  optic  nerve  is  affected. 

Second,  Get  the  maximum  power  of  accommodation  and  record  it. 
If  the  patient's  age  is  known  and  this  is  excessive  it  indicates  hyperopia, 
unless  there  are  no  evidences  of  nerve  strain,  when  it  mavrnean  myopia,  if 
vision  was  bad  according  to  the  first  test.  I      j£ 

Third,  Test  the  muscle  balance,  which  is  really  ecstatic  nerve  test, 
with  the  double  prism  on  one  eye,  adjusted  so  a  light  at  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
appears  as  two,  one  above  the  other,  and  with  a  colored  glass  on  the  fellow 
eye.  The  colored  light  should  be  in  line  with  and  midway  between  the 
white  ones.  If  it  is  the  nerve  distribution  is  either  normal  or  there  is  spasm 
in  both  the  6th  nerves  and  internal  recti  branches  of  the  3d.  In  either  case 
it  is  orthophoria.  If  the  lights  are  not  in  line  it  is  heterophoria.  If  the 
colored  light  deviates  toward  the  nose  it  is  esophoria  and  means  nervous 
spasm,  exhibited  in  the  internal  recti,  and  it  will  also  be  found  in  the  accom- 
modation when  we  try  the  refraction  tests.  If  it  deviates  from  the  nose  it 
is  exophoria  and  signifies  weakness  of  the  nerve  supply,  exhibited  in  the 
interni  and  of  course  it  will  be  found  in  the  accommodation  during  the 
refraction  test,  unless  it  be  a  clonic  spasm,  which  will  make  its  presence 
known  very  quickly.     If  the  deviation  is  up  or  down  in  connection  with 


SwilfH 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


75 


either  of  the  above,  it  is  hyperesophoria  or  hyperexophoria  and  means  the 
disturbance  is  more  general.  If  it  simply  deviates  up  or  down,  it  is  hyper- 
phoria, and  means  an  erratic  distribution  of  nerve  force. 

Fourth,  Put  in  front  cell  of  trial  frame  +  spheres,  just  strong  enough 
to  blur  vision  until  the  largest  type  on  the  test  card  is  seen  dimly,  then 
put  the  next  weaker  in  the  rear  cell,  remove  the  first  ones  and  repeat 
the  operation,  using  the  next  weaker  at  each  change  (unless  the  patient 
shows  signs  of  spasm  by  not  improving  in  vision  with  each  change,  when  it 
is  proper  to  cheat  the  accommodation  by  leaving  the  same  lenses  in  while 
pretending  to  change),  until  vision  is  good  enough  so  patient  can  pick 
out  a  few  letters  on  the  line  he  read  easily  without  lenses.  Stop  at  this 
point  and  cover  each  eye,  alternately,  to  see  if  vision  is  practically  equal. 
If  it  is  not,  put  more  +  on  the  good  eye,  then  continue  as  before  until  the 
same  point  is  reached. 

Fig.  62  is  intended  to  illus- 
trate that  part  of  the  fogging 
system     which     relates     to 
measuring  errors  of  refrac- 
tion    without     cycloplegics. 
The  space  between  the  lines 
C  and  R  is  the  eye ;  the  line 
2  the  cornea ;  the  line  R  the 
retina ;  the  space  1  is  the  rear 
cell  of  trial  frame ;  the  space 
2   is  the  front   cell;   convex 
figures  are  -j-  spheres;  con- 
cave figures  are  —  spheres 
and  cylinders;  —  lenses   in 
front  of  space  2  are  held  in 
the      operators'      hands.     If 
more  than  -f-  3.  is  needed  to 
fog,  use  it,  of  course.      C  H 
stands  for  compound  hyper- 
opia; S  H  A,  for  simple  hy- 
peropic  astigmatism ;  Mx.  A, 
for  mixed  astigmatism ;  C  M 
A,     for    compound     myopic 
astigmatism.   Simple  myopic 
astigmatism  would  be  found 
by  locating  the  good  meridi- 
an with  the  slot,  then  reverse 


v5/*/-»£/.    £#?-/■   *-//?*> 


Fig-.  62— Concluded  on  next  page. 


76 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


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it  and  hold  —  spheres  in 
front  until  vision  is  almost 
as  good  as  in  the  other  me- 
ridian ;  get  cylinder  indicated 
and  prove.  Simple  myopia 
is  fitted  by  first  giving  — 
sphere  strong  enough  to  give 
20/80  vision  then  try  slot  and 
finding  all  meridians  equal 
in  visual  acuteness,  remove 
slot  and  increase  the  spheres. 
Simple  hyperopia  is  found  by 
fogging  and  unfogging  to 
20/30,  then  try  the  slot  and 
when  no  astigmatism  is 
found,  treat  the  other  eye  in 
the  same  manner;  then  try 
both  together  and  if  vision 
is  not  20/20  it  can  be  made 
good  by  reducing  the 

"Fig.  62— (See  preceding  page,)  SpherCS. 

In  the  diagram  the  dotted  lines  indicate  the  meridian  shut  off  by  the 
slotted  disk.  In  space  devoted  to  C  H  vision  with  sphere  should  not  be 
quite  as  good  as  with  naked  eye.  This  is  left  out  of  S  H  A  and  M  A  for 
want  of  space,  and  it  is  not  needed  in  C  M  A. 

Fifth,  Direct  attention  to  the  astigmatic  chart,  Fig.  63  is  usually  the 
best,  and  require  the  patient  to  tell  which  line  if  any  is  plainest.     If  there 


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Fig.  63 


is  one,  it  indicates  astigmatism  and  that  the  meridian  at  right  angles  to 
the  plainest  line  is  the  one  corrected  by  the  sphere.  To  prove  this,  put  the 
slot  on  that  meridian  and  have  him  read  the  smallest  letters  possible, 
then  reverse  the  slot  and  vision  should  be  worse.     If  it  is  hold  weak  — 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


11 


spheres  in  front  of  the  slot,  increasing  the  power  gradually  until  vision 
is  almost  as  good  as  in  the  other  meridian ;  then  substitute  a  cylinder  of  the 
power  indicated,  for  the  slot,  placing  the  axis  on  the  meridian  where  the 
slot  showed  best  vision  through  the  sphere.  To  test  the  correctness  of 
the  cylinder,  first  direct  attention  to  the  astigmatic  chart  and  let  the  patient 
tell  whether  the  lines  are  all  equally  distinct.  If  the  ones  which  were  plain- 
est before  are  still  most  distinct  the  cylinder  is  not  strong  enough;  if  the 
opposite  ones  are  plainest,  it  is  too  strong.  If  he  says  they  all  appear 
alike,  reverse  the  axis  and  if  that  spoils  the  equality  of  vision  on  the  chart 
put  its  axis  back  where  it  was,  refer  him  to  the  letters  again  and  take  a  + 
.25  cylinder  in  one  hand  and  a  —  .25  cylinder  in  the  other,  then  try  them 
alternately,  the  +  first,  axis  on  axis;  if  vision  is  just  as  good  with  the  4-, 
the  —  cylinder  in  the  frame  may  be  reduced ;  if  it  is  not  as  good,  try  the  — 
cylinder,  and  if  it  improves  vision  compare  it  with  a  —  .25  sphere,  when, 
if  the  sphere  gives  best  vision,  the  original  cylinder  is  proved.  In  the  lat- 
ter instance  do  not  reduce  the  sphere,  as  appears  to  be  indicated  by  the 
improvement  in  vision,  but  wait  until  the  other  eye  is  finished,  when 
the  accommodation  may  relax  a  little  more,  making  reduction  of  the 
sphere  unnecessary.  There  are  cases  in  which  the  cylinder,  being  —  .75 
or  less,  may  be  stolen  without  impairing  vision  on  the  letters,  although 
the  astigmatic  chart  will  not  be  perfect.  The  manner  in  which  this  is 
accomplished  is  to  remove  the  cylinder  from  the  trial  frame,  holding  It 
in  one  hand  and  alternating  it  with  a  —  .25  sphere  in  front  of  the  eye,  and  if 
vision  is  best  with  the  sphere  of  course  the  cylinder  should  be  discarded; 
or,  if  a  —  .50  sphere  gives  better  vision  than  a  —  .50  or  —  .75  cylinder, 
we  often  discard  the  cylinder.     Fig  64  shows  the  principle :     Let  the  plane 


Fig.  64 

i  show  the  focus  of  the  vertical  meridian  and  the  plane  2,  that  of  the 
horizontal  meridian ;  the  plane  3  shows  where  the  circles  of  diffusion  would 
form  a  round  spot,  but  not  a  perfect  focus.  Suppose  the  hyperopia  in 
the  vertical  meridian  is  1.00  D.  and  in  the  horizontal  is  1.50  D.,  +  1.35 
sphere  would  put  the  plane  3  at  the  retina,  the  vertical  meridian  would 
be  a  little  over-corrected  and  the  horizontal  a  little  under-corrected,  but  the 
saving  of  nerve  strain  would  be  five-sixths  of  the  total,  and  vision  would 
be  as  good  as  with  the  naked  eye.  Such  corrections  are  evidences  of  skill 
and  judgment  on  the  part  of  the  operator. 

If,  in  beginning  the  test  for  astigmatism,  the  patient  sees  no  difference 


78 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


in  the  chart  Fig.  63,  it  is  not  proof  there  is  no  astigmatism  and  the  slot 
is  used  to  find  the  meridian  of  best  vision,  when  it  is  reversed  and  the  pro- 
ceeding continued  as  described  above. 

If,  in  proving  cylinder  reversing  the  axis  spoils  astigmatic  chart  but 
makes  letters  clearer,  there  is  not  enough  -f-  sphere.  Increase  before  pro- 
ceeding. 

Sixth.  After  testing  the  other  eye  for  astigmatism,  both  eyes  are 
used  to  prove  the  spherical  corrections.  Cover  the  eyes  alternately  and 
proceed  as  per  the  last  sentence  in  first  paragraph  of  rule  four. 

Seventh.  Get  the  maximum  acommodation  with  correction  on.  If  the 
patient  is  under  twenty  yeats  of  age  and  in  good  condition,  it  will  not 
be  any  greater  than  at  the  first  test,  and  probably  less,  because  the  glasses 
interfere  with  the  limit-angle  of  convergence ;  if  it  is  increased,  it  means 
the  patient  needs  rest.  Between  twenty  and  thirty-five  years  the  increase 
should  approximate  the  power  of  the  -f-  spheres;  if  it  is  not  so  much,  it 
means  a  good  condition;  if  it  is  more,  it  indicates  weakness.  If  the  age 
is  over  about  thirty-five  but  the  patient  is  not  yet  presbyopic,  the  increase 
should  be  equal  to  twice  the  strength  of  spheres;  if  it  is  not,  it  means 
general  weakness  until  after  forty-five  years,  when  it  usually  means  pres- 
byopia. If  any  patient  has  not  been  wearing  constantly  a  correction  of  his 
errors  of  refraction  and  appears  to  need  additional  spherical  power  for  close 
work  under  forty-five,  do  not  give  it,  but  require  the  correction  worn  con- 
stantly and  rest  from  all  work  for  a  week  or  two  when  he  will  be  able  to 
do  his  close  work  without  addition. 

Eighth.  To  find  the  proper  amount  to  add  for  close  work,  have  pa- 
tient hold  a  newspaper  at  the  farthest  point  he  expects  to  work,  measure 
the  distance  in  inches,  take  its  equivalent  in  diopters,  -f-  spheres,  and  offer 
them,  holding  in  front  of  both  eyes  at  once,  (be  sure  to  hold  them  in  good 
position  over  the  other  lenses)  ;  if  he  cannot  read  with  them  reduce  them  .25 
at  a  time  until  he  can  read  dimly  at  the  original  point,  then  tell  him  to 
draw  the  paper  to  the  usual  position,  when  he  will  declare  it  perfect.  This 
saves  changing  the  reading  glasses  so  often  and  insures  best  results  from 
the  lenses.  If,  as  will  be  found  occasionally,  in  cases  where  the  hyper- 
opia is  so  great  that  vision  is  poor  even  with  best  correction  obtainable 
by  the  distance  test,  the  patient  requires  an  addition  for  reading  of  greater 
amount  than  the  working  distance  represents,  increase  the  lenses  for  con- 
stant wear  the  amount  of  that  difference.  For  example,  a  patient  accepts 
4-  6.00  for  distance,  but  for  reading  at  13  inches  +  4.00  must  be  added;  it 
follows  that  as  only  -j-  3.00  is  required  by  law  the  other  -f-  1.00  must  be 
added  to  the  lenses  for  constant  wear;  they  will  be  accepted  readily,  too. 

Ninth.  Test  the  muscle  balance  as  before;  the  cylinders  may  be  re- 
moved for  this  purpose  because  they  are  always  — ,  but  the  spheres  must 
remain.     If  the  frame  has  three  cells  it  is  not  necessary  to  remove  the  cylin- 


CLINICAL  PORTION, 


79 


ders.  If  there  was  esophoria  before  and  it  remains  to  the  extent  of  i°  to  3% 
we  know  there  is  still  .50  hyperopia  concealed  by  a  tonic  spasm;  if  there 
is  40  to  6°,  .75  hyperopia  is  concealed;  if  it  is  70  to  io°,  there  is  1.00;  if  it 
is  11  to  13°,  there  is  1.50  and  if  it  is  140  or  more  there  is  2.00  D.  concealed, 
and  we  add  these  respective  amounts  to  the  correction  accepted,  regardless 
of  vision,  because  constant  wear  will  cause  natural  relaxation,  and  when 
the  spasm  is  broken  we  retest  and  make  whatever  changes  may  be  found 
necessary  to  be  exact.  In  many  cases  we  are  able  to  prove  the  correction 
at  once  by  the  use  of  the  neurometer.  For  example,  a  patient  accepted 
+  2.00  with  20/20  vision,  showed  an  accommodation  of  9.00  IX,  indicating 
23  years,  4  months,  by  the  neurometer,  he  showed  esophoria  of  2 °  by  this 
lest,  so  -j-  -5°  was  added  arbitrarily.  Reference  to  the  neurometer  table 
of  additions  to  age  for  hyperopia  indicated  4  years,  making  27  years,  4 
months;  then  for  his  professional  work,  which  develops  the  intellectual 
brain  and  makes  the  nervous  system  more  responsive  to  demands,  there  was 
added  7  years,  6  months,  making  a  grand  total  of  34  years,  10  months. 
He  said  he  was  35  years,  3  months  and  5  days.  By  changing  our  cor- 
rection to  -|-  1.75  he  saw  20/20  well,  and  adding  the  +  -5°  f°r  esophoria, 
made  +  2.25,  for  which  the  table  says  add  4  years,  5  months,  10  days  to 
the  showing  by  accommodation  and  profession.  Thus  23  years,  4  months, 
plus  7  years,  6  months,  plus  4  years,  5  months,  10  days,  equals  35  years,  3 
months,  10  days,  and  we  decide  to  prescribe  +  2.25  instead  of  +  2.50. 
which  proved  correct  by  later  tests  after  his  nervous  irritation  subsided. 

Tenth.  Nearly  all  cases  should  wear  spectacles,  at  least  until  the 
nervous  system  recovers  its  normal  status;  it  is  essential  for  appearance  as 
well  as  comfort  that  the  measurements  be  taken  properly  and  the  pre- 
scription  filled  as  written.  A  common  fault  among  manufacturing  opti- 
cians is  they  do  not  exhibit  ordinary  intelligence,  or  honesty,  in  their  work ; 
they  take  a  pair  of  pliers  and  bend  a  nose-piece  until  it  corresponds  to  the 
measures  given,  with  the  result  that  the  patient  looks  like  a  caricature 
when  he  puts  it  on.     They  call  this  "prescription"  work,  which  is  a  mistake. 


Fig.  65 

Fig.  65  shows  what  is  called  a  "saddle"  bridge,  or  nose-piece,  by  opti- 
cians.    The   shanks   extending  from    1    and   2   to   the   lenses   are  for   the 


8o 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


purpose  of  changing  the  pupillary  distances  with  a  simple  twist  of  the 
wrist;  it  is  a  convenient  thing  for  the  mechanic,  and  is  not  always  hideous 
in  its  results  because  some  noses  require  little  or  no  change  and  it  does 
fairly  well,  but  there  are  a  great  many  cases  where  the  bend  for  the  shank 
should  be  just  where  the  temples  cross  the  bridge  in  Fig.  65,  and  the 
spectacles  shown  in  the  cut  would  look  neater  on  any  face.  They  should 
be  made  "saddle,"  but  more  like  the  old-fashioned  "C"  bridge.  Hoping 
that  this  may  come  to  the  notice  of  opticians,  I  suggest  they  adopt  the 
idea  when  a  prescription  comes  with  the  injunction  "make  this  bridge  of 
as  little  material  as  possible."  The  intent  of  the  saddle  is  to  permit  the 
operator  to  adjust  a  trifle  if  necessary.  The  optician  should  make  frames 
to  the  measures,  not  bend  to  them. 

The  following  measurements  are  all  that  are  necessary:  Distance  be- 
tween pupils,  X  to  X,  in  Fig.  65,  (to  find  it  exactly  in  a  pair  of  glasses, 
measure  from  A  to  B,  in  the  cut),  height  of  bridge  from  where  temples 
cross,  as  shown  in  cut,  to  inside  of  top ;  width  bridge  at  base,  1  to  2  in  the 
cut ;  position  of  crest  or  top  of  bridge  with  reference  to  a  plane  correspond- 
ing to  the  side  of  the  lenses  nearest  the  face ;  sometimes  it  is  on  the  plane, 
sometimes  back  of  it,  and  sometimes  in  front,  the  latter  most  rarely,  the 
object  being  to  regulate  the  distance  of  the  glasses  from  the  eyelashes. 
The  angle  of  the  crest  of  the  nose  will  take  care  of  itself  if  the  optician 
follows  my  suggestion  with  reference  to  the  shanks;  it  is  a  law  of  nature, 
(as  absolute  as  is  the  law  of  nonspherical  curvatures,  that  the  two  prin- 
cipal meridians  are  always  at  right  angles  to  each  other).  The  temple 
distance  is  not  measured,  but  is  regulated  by  the  size  of  the  lenses.  A 
very  small  face  would  require  i-eye  lenses,  while  a  very  broad  one  would 
need  oooo-eye.  The  length  of  the  hook  temples  should  be  given,  and 
make  them  so  long  that  the  ends  are  just  concealed  by  the  lower  part  of 
the  ears  as  the  observer  stands  in  front.  Great  discomfort  results  from 
making  them  too  short. 

Have  a  set  of  frames  as  follows  for  convenience  in  fitting: 

NOSE. 


Size  of  Eye. 

P.  D. 

High. 

Wide. 

Crest. 

Temples. 

1 

2}i 

1-16 

V* 

1- 16  Back 

Short 

0 

2*A 

X 

9-16 

On  plane 

Med. 

0 

2  5-16 

3-16 

H 

On  plane 

Long 

0 

23/^ 

H 

H 

On  plane 

Long 

0 

23/^ 

% 

5/8 

y%   Back 

Long 

00 

2V2 

1-16 

H 

V%  Back 

Long 

If  skeleton  lenses  are  wanted,  order  a  size  larger  than  the  fitting 
frame. 

Never  order  skeletons  for  children. 

If  eye  glasses  are  wanted,  they  should  be  of  the  same  size  as  the  fitting 
frame. 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  gj 

The  foregoing  applies  to  the  first  and  second  classes  enumerated  at 
the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  except  that  for  the  second  class  it  is  usually 
best  to  take  each  eye  separately  all  the  way,  except  in  the  final  proving  of 
the  spheres.  In  doing  this  unfog  with  —  spheres  .25  and  .50;  then  .50 
and  .75;  then  .75  and  1.00,  etc. 

The  third  class  is  seldom  difficult  if  there  is  any  vision  at  twenty 
feet.  If  there  is  not,  move  patient  closer  until  two  or  three  lines  of  the 
test  type  are  visible,  then  try  the  pin-hole  disk  and  if  it  improves  vision 
there  is  just  that  much  encouragement.  Next  try  the  slot,  whether  the 
pin-hole  improves  or  not.  If  one  meridian  is  better  than  the  other,  leave 
the  slot  there  and  put  such  strong  +  spheres  in  the  rear  cell  that  they 
make  vision  worse,  then  neutralize  gradually  with  —  .25,  —  .50,  etc.,  until 
the  vision  is  as  good  as  it  was  through  the  slot  without  the  lens.  Put  in 
the  -j-  spheres  indicated,  if  any  has  been  accepted,  then  reverse  the  slot 
and  vision  should  be  worse.  First  offer  -f-  spheres  in  front  of  the  slot  and 
if  they  are  accepted,  with  improvement  of  vision,  continue  increasing  until 
the  best  possible  vision  is  obtained,  then  give  enough  more  to  blur  to  the 
top  line  and  neutralize  away  as  before.  If  +  spheres  are  not  accepted, 
try  — ,  and  when  that  meridian  sees  as  good  as  the  other,  stop  and  put  on 
the  cylinder  indicated,  prove  it  and  proceed  to  get  vision  as  good  as  possible 
by  weakening  the  +  sphere  if  necessary.  In  other  words,  find  the  best 
meridian  if  there  be  one,  which  locates  the  two  principal  meridians.  Use 
the  slot  to  isolate  all  but  one  at  a  time  and  treat  it  as  simple  hyperopia  or 
myopia.  Then  put  the  results  on  a  cross,  diagram  them  and  write  the 
prescription,  put  it  on  the  patient  and  prove  it. 

The  fourth  class  is  so  important  in  many  respects  that  a  chapter  haa 
been  devoted  to  it,  which  see. 

The  fifth  and  sixth  classes  need  temporary  sphericals.  The  fifth 
should  be  fogged  to  20/80  as  a  rule,  until  the  spasm  breaks  down,  while  the 
method  described  in  connection  with  Fig.  63  is  best  for  the  sixth. 

The  seventh  class,  children,  can  often  read  the  letters  and  is  compara- 
tively easy,  except  that  nearly  all  have  a  clonic  spasm  of  accommodation 
and  must  be  handled  carefully.  Illiterates  are  comparatively  easily  han- 
dled by  using  the  clock-face  chart,  fogging  at  twenty  feet  until  the  chart 
blurs,  then  unfogging  until  it  is  clear.  If  there  is  astigmatism  so  that 
patient  sees  one  line  plainest,  fog  and  unfog  until  the  opposite  line  appears 
plainest,  then  put  in  the  +  sphere  indicated  and  finish  with  —  cylinders: 
axis  opposite  the  black  lines.  Unless  there  is  much  astigmatism  do  not 
correct  it.  If  addition  for  reading  is  necessary,  let  patient  be  the  judge  of 
what  is  best. 

For  the  eighth  class  permit  20/20  vision  with  distance  glasses,  and 
add  all  the  spheres  they  will  accept  for  the  near  work.  Remember  in 
adding  for  reading  the  cylinder  is  not  changed.  Increasing  the  sphere 
gives  what  the  eye  needs. 


82  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

THE  NEUROMETER. 
Method  by  Which  We  Prove  the  Accuracy  of  Our  Analyses. 

One  of  the  best  ways  to  study  a  subject  is  to  fix  an  ideal,  then  compare 
the  real  with  it  and  keep  statistics.  This  is  the  method  I  practiced  in  con- 
structing the  Neurometer  (nerve  measure).  Prof.  Donders  printed,  many 
years  ago,  the  following  table  of  accommodation,  to  show  how  it  weakens 
from  youth  to  old  age  and  used  it  as  a  basis  of  calculation  for  the  power 

of  glasses  for  presbyopia.  ^ 

10  years,  14.00  D. 

20  years,  10.00  D. 

30  years,     7.00  D. 

40  years,    4.50  D. 

50  years,     2.50  D. 

60  years,  1.00  D. 
He  claimed  that  after  40  years,  when  the  person  with  4.50  D.  accom- 
modation, or  less,  used  3.00  D.  for  reading  at  13  inches  it  took  so  nearly 
all  that  the  eyes  soon  tired.  Of  course,  it  was  the  nerve  supply  in  the 
cerebellum  that  gave  out,  but  it  exhibited  in  the  eyes,  so  he  was  partly 
right;  but  he  was  mistaken  in  another  important  particular:  he  often  pre- 
scribed more  than  -f-  3.00  for  work  at  13  inches  and  because  the  patient 
could  see  distant  objects  perfectly  without  glasses  he  assumed  there  was 
emmetropia,  hence  his  table  of  numbers  for  glasses  to  be  used  at  different 
ages  in  presbyopia  is  wrong,  for  any  eye  that  is  emmetropic  will  focus 
parallel  rays  at  the  retina  without  accommodation,  hence  would  never 
need  more  than  -f-  3.00  for  13  inches.  Or,  an  ametrope,  with 
exact  correction,  will  never  need  more  than  -j-  3.00  added  for  work  at 
13  inches.  He  will  not  need  all  of  that  when  he  begins  to  require  addition 
for  reading,  as  he  will  be  able  to  do  some  of  the  work  for  a  long  time. 

However,  the  professor's  table  gave  me  an  idea  for  which  I  am  duly 
thankful,  and  I  elaborated  it  into  an  ideal  standard  for  ideal  persons  with 
ideal  eyes.  It  is  assumed  that  the  ideal  day's  near  work  amounts  to 
three  hours'  actual  application  at  about  13  inches.  On  applying  this 
standard  to  several  hundred  cases  I  found  many  persons  work  more  than 
three  hours  at  close  work,  and  such  were  invariably  older  than  the  table 
indicated  for  their  accommodation,  so  I  made  allowances  for  the  extra 
development  from  the  extra  work  as  will  be  seen.  Then  I  found  that 
hyperopes,  whose  accommodation  is  constantly  at  work  during  waking 
hours,  also  showed  overdeveloped  power  in  the  eye  department,  even  when 
they  exhibited  weakness  in  other  parts  of  the  body.  This  necessitated 
more  allowances,  not  only  for  the  hyperopia,  but  for  extra  hours'  work  at 
near  points  and  for  the  effects  of  the  extraordinary  demands  upon  the 
nerve  supply  as  found  by  examinations  and  tests,  all  of  which  follow  and 
have  been  proved  abundantly  by  myself  and  my  pupils,  who  understand 
my  methods  of  taking  measurements. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


83 


For  the  dynamic  test  we  use  the  ordinary  type  in  vogue  with  the  daily 
newspapers  of  our  time,  have  the  patient  read  aloud,  holding  the  paper  as 
near  as  possible  to  read  a  line  by  straining.  We  measure  the  distance 
from  paper  to  the  principal  plane  of  the  eye,  which  is  at  the  apex  of  the  cor- 
nea and  express  the  amount  in  dioptres. 

For  the  static  test  we  use  a  double  prism  before  one  eye  and  a  red 
glass  before  the  other;  it  makes  no  difference  which  eye  the  red  glass  is 
on,  but  I  put  it  before  the  eye  nearest  to  me.  The  three  lights  should 
be  in  a  vertical  line,  the  red,  of  course,  in  the  middle.  If  the  red  devi- 
ates toward  the  patient's  nose  it  indicates  a  +  impulse,  that  is,  an  irri- 
tation of  the  nervous  system  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  in  a  state  of  tonic 
spasm  throughout  the  body.  We  know  by  this  there  is  not  only  hyperopia 
but  that  the  spasm  of  accommodation  is  so  great  we  will  have  a  fight  to 
control  it,  and,  after  we  have  made  the  refraction  test  and  got  on  all  the 
+  we  can,  if  the  static  test  repeated  shows  the  -f-  impulse  remaining  we 
have  proof  we  did  not  get  all  the  hyperopia — the  neurometer  tells  how 
much  is  lacking.  If  the  red  light  deviates  from  the  nose  it  indicates 
a  —  impulse,  or  exhaustion  of  the  nerve  supply  to  such  an  extent  that  as 
soon  as  the  eyes  are  thrown  out  of  gear  (which  is  practically  what  the 
test  does),  it  exposes  the  truth  even  if  the  dynamic  test  deceived  us.  We 
know,  then,  that  there  will  not  be  a  great  deal  of  resistance  during  the 
refraction  test,  although  we  are  equally  as  vigilant  as  when  dealing 
with  a  state  of  irritation;  and  if  the  static  test,  applied  after  correction 
shows  some  deviation  or  none,  the  neurometer  tells  what  it  means  and  what 
to  do.  If  the  red  light  deviates  toward  or  from  the  nose  and  above  or 
below  the  mid-line  between  the  white  lights,  it  indicates  an  erratic  nerve 
distribution  as  well  as  the  -f-  or  —  impulse;  or,  if  the  red  deviates  up  or 
down,  but  neither  to  right  or  left,  it  indicates  an  erratic  state  of  the 
nerves,  either  clonic  or  tonic  spasm.  The  static  test  is  of  no  use  on  one- 
eyed  or  cross-eyed  people. 

Four  points  are  worthy  of  especial  mention  in  this  connection :  First., 
our  4-  impulse  is  esophoria,  that  is  the  eyes  tend  inward  from  spasm  of 
the  nerve  supply,  exhibited  through  the  internal  recti  muscles  of  both 
eyes.  My  opponents,  who  claim  the  eyes  deviate  opposite  to  the  direc- 
tion the  lights  are  seen,  call  it  exophoria,  meaning  eyes  turning  outward. 
Second,  our  —  impulse  is  exophoria,  eyes  tending  outward  from  weakness 
of  the  nerve  supply  exhibited  through  the  internal  rectus  muscles.  My 
opponents  call  this  esophoria  by  the  same  token  they  call  the  other  exo- 
phoria. They  also  declare  the  eyes  turn  in  from  weakness  of  the  external 
recti  muscles  and  turn  out  from  weakness  of  the  interni.  They  say  I  am  in- 
consistent. I  retort  they  are  chumps.  Third,  they  say  muscles  are  at 
fault  when  there  is  deviation  with  the  test  on,  even  if  the  patient  controls 
the  two  eyes  and  holds  them  in  perfect  balance  with  the  test  off",  which 
is  nearly  always  the  case.     I  say  it  is  the  nerve  supply  away  back  in  the 


84 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


cerebellum,  which  is  at  fault.  They  operate  and  if  the  nerve  supply  is 
sufficient  to  overcome  the  damage,  they  claim  a  victory  for  operation;  if 
the  nerve  supply  is  insufficient  to  act  properly,  in  spite  of  the  operation, 
they  admit  no  blame,  but  the  victim  has  troubles  galore.  I  never  operate 
and  always  have  good  results.  Fourth,  the  amount  of  prism  required  to 
set  the  red  light  in  the  middle  is  not  the  measure  of  the  degrees  of  devia- 
tion, but  is  an  indication  of  the  intensity  of  the  spasm  if  prism  required  is 
base  in,  or  of  the  extent  of  the  exhaustion  if  it  is  base  out.  The  prisms 
are  merely  artificial  substitutes  for  the  natural  impulse  which  is  supplied 
under  the  direction  of  the  controlling  center  in  the  brain,  when  the  test 
is  off.  I  would  give  a  patient  half  a  dozen  grains  of  strychnine  ss  quickly 
as  I  would  a  prism  for  constant  wear.    See  chapter  on  prisms. 


THE   NEUROMETER. 


Near  Point. 
2i/i  in. 
3 

3XA 
4 

4-K 

43A 
5 

6 
6*A 

6% 

7 

1% 

8 

sy2 

9 

9XA 
io 


ii 

12 

'•3 

H 

15 

16 

18 

20 

22 
26 

32 
40 


Diopters 

. . 14.00. 
. . 13.00. 
..12  00 . 
. .  11.00. 
.  .  10.00. 
.  .  9.00 
. .  8.50. 
. .  8.00. 
..  7.50, 
.  .  7.00. 
...  6.75. 
. .  6.50. 
..  6.25. 
. .   6.00. 

••  5-75- 

•  •  5-50- 

..  5.25. 

. .  5.00. 

••   4-75- 
. .   4.50. 

-•   4-25- 
. .   4.00. 

..   3-75- 
.  •   3-5o. 

• •   3-25 
. .   8.00. 

••  2.75  . 

.  .  2.63. 

. .  2.50. 

..  2.25. 

. .  2.00. 

..  1.75. 

.  .  1.50, 

..  1.25. 

. .  1. 00. 


Years. 


10. 

12 . 

15 

17 

20 


23- 

25- 
26. 

28. 


30 
3i 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 

37 
28 

39 
40 
41 

42 
43 

45 
46 

47 
48 

49 
50 

5i 
53 

55 
56 

58 
60 


Age. 
Months. 


o 
6. 


o 


o 


4 
o 

8 


o 
o 


o 


o 

o 


o 


o 


,0 


o 


o 


3 

6 


9 
o 


3 
6 


4 
o 

8 


4 
o 

,8 


4 
o 


Days. 


o 
o 


o 


o 


o 


o 
o 
o 


.0 
,0 


o 


o 
,0 


o 


,0 


o 


O.  - 


O 

o 


o 


,0 

o 


o 
o 


,0 


15 

.0 


o 


.0. 
.0. 
.0. 


o 
o 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


85 


If  our  patient  is  an  emmetrope  but  works  extra  hours  over  the  average 
three  upon  which  this  table  is  based,  we  would  add  to  his  showing  by  the 
dynamic  test: 

For  6  hours  extra,  10  years,  o  months. 

For  5  hours  extra,  8  years,  4  months. 

For  4  hours  extra,  6  years,  8  months. 

For  3  hours  extra,  5  years,  o  months. 

For  2  hours  extra,  3  years,  4  months. 

For    1    hour   extra,    1    year,   8  months. 

If  the  patient  is  a  hyperope  and  is  working  extra  hours,  too,  it  is  evi- 
dently just  that  much  worse  for  him,  so  we  figure  the  extra  hours  equal 
to  more  error,  thus: 

6  hours  extra,  equals  1.00  D.  more  hyperopia. 

5   hours  extra  equals   .75   D.   more  hyperopia. 

4  hours  extra  equals   .75   D.  more  hyperopia. 

3  hours  extra  equals  .50   D.   more  hyperopia. 

2   hours  extra  equals  .50   D.  more  hyperopia. 

1    hour  extra  equals   .25   D.   more   hyperopia. 

For  intelligent  people  who  apply  themselves  diligently,  thinking  and 
reading,  we  add  from  5  to  10  years  for  the  mentality  and  its  effect  on  the 
accommodation. 

All  calculations  where  errors  of  refraction  exist  must  include  the  fol- 
lowing table  with  variations,  unless  especially  exempted : 

ADDITIONS  FOR  HYPEROPIA. 

Years.  Months.  Days. 


For  1. 00  D.                    add 

10 

For     .75  or  1.25             ' 
For    .50  or  1.50             ' 
For  1.75 
For  2.00                           ' 

8 

7 
6 

5 

For  2.25                            ' 
For  2.50                           ' 
For  2.75 
For  3  00                           ' 

4 
4 
3 
3 

For  3.25 
For  3.50 
For  4.00                           ' 

3 
2 

2 

For  4.50                           ' 
For  5.00                           ' 

2 

2 

.0 

•9 
.6, 

•3- 
.0. 

-7 

.2. 

.9. 

.4. 

o. 

•9. 
,6. 

3- 

,0. 


.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
,o 
.0 
,0 
20 
,  10 
o 
o 
o 


This  table  is  subject  to  alterations  for  conditions  found  by  the  exam- 
inations and  tests : 

First,  if  the  static  test,  without  glasses,  showed  a  -j-  impulse  and  it 
remained    after    the    correction    of    the    errors   of  refraction,  we  would 
increase  the  spherical  part  of  the  correction  -f-     .50  for     1  to    3  degrees, 
increase  the  spherical  part  of  the  correction  -(-     .75  for     4  to     6  degree?., 
increase  the  spherical  part  of  the  correction  -f-  1.00  for'    7  to  10  degrees, 


g6  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

increase  the  spherical  part  of  the  correction  -f-  1.50  for  11  to  13  degrees, 
increase  the  spherical  part  of  the  correction  +  2.00  for  14  to  18  degrees, 
regardless  of  the  vision,  because  the  showing  indicates  spasms  of  the  ner- 
vous system  which  is  concealing  approximately  that  amount  of  hyperopia, 
as  the  results  after  wearing  constantly  for  a  few  weeks  will  show. 

Second,  if  the  static  test,  with  correcting  glasses  on,  showed  a  — 
impulse,  we  would  not  add  as  much  to  the  age  for  the  error  as  if  there 
were  no  symptoms  of  breaking  down  in  the  nervous  system : 

For  2  to  4  degrees  we  would  deduct  25  per  cent. 

For  5  to  8  degrees  we  would  deduct  50  per  cent. 

For  9  to  12  degrees  we  would  deduct  75  per  cent. 

Then  there  are  other  things  to  make  allowance  for,  such  as  partial 
presbyopia,  previous  corrections  of  errors  of  refraction  —  or  partial  cor- 
rections, and  other  features  of  the  case  not  exhibited  by  the  static  test 
but  by  the  patient's  story,  by  the  ophthalmoscope,  by  the  general  appear- 
ance, etc.  Sometimes  there  is  not  enough  in  one  symptom  to  warrant  much 
allowance,  but  the  total  showing  does,  so  we  make  it  that  way.  This  is 
a  point  which  is  dim/cult  to  make  clear  except  by  personal  instruction, 
over  clinics.  However,  the  bright  student  will  catch  the  idea  and  soon 
work  it  out  himself. 

As  a  safe  and  simple  basis  to  work  on,  we  take  the  dynamic  test,  with 
the  correction  of  errors  of  refraction,  and  add  to  its  showing  the  amount 
indicated  for  the  hyperopia,  (we  made  no  addition  if  there  is  myopia),  then 
if  the  patient  is  younger  than  he  figures,  his  condition  is  below  the  stand- 
ard of  the  class  to  which  he  belongs;  and  if  he  is  more  than  half  way  to 
the  showing  by  the  first  table  he  is  below  the  danger-line.  Any  person 
who  is  younger  than  the  first  table  indicates  is  practically  dead  and  will 
need  the  undertaker  very  soon. 

For  example,  a  patient  requires  a  correction  for  hyperopia  of  1.50  and. 
with  that  correction  on,  shows,  by  the  dynamic  test,  8.00  D;  we  refer  to 
the  first  table  and  find  the  age  26  years,  8  months,  and  adding  7  years, 
6  months,  for  the  error,  as  required  by  the  other  table,  gives  34  years, 
2  months,  as  the  standard  of  his  class;  if  his  real  age  is  below  that  he  is 
on  the  down  grade ;  if  it  is  more  than  half  way  down  to  26  years,  8 
months,  he  is  below  the  danger  line ;  if  he  is  below  the  lowest  age  given  it 
is  a  hopeless  case. 

The  whole  object  in  figuring  out  the  ages  without  the  aid  of  the 
patient  is  to  place  the  true  value  on  the  symptoms  found  and  to  prove 
to  ourselves  and  the  patient  the  accuracy  of  our  system  of  analysis. 

The  relation  between  the  dynamic  and  static  tests  and  the  correction 
of  errors  of  refraction  affords  a  nice  little  lesson  in  delicacy  of  work: 
First,  the  dynamic  test  being  voluntary,  the  patient  is  liable  to  deceive 
us,  so  the  static  or  involuntary  test  follows  and  if  they  dispute  each  other 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


87 


we  believe  the  static,  because  all  positive  impulses  induced  by  the  defects 
in  the  eyes  are  removed,  except  when  there  is  tonic  spasm;  even  then  we 
have  either  the  positive  exhibit  by  the  static  test  or  there  will  be  so  much 
pain  in  the  eyeballs  that  we  are  not  in  doubt.     Second,  the  dynamic  and 
static  tests,  with  the  subordinate  ones  are  constant  checks  on  each  other. 
Third,  in  persons  under  20  years  we  expect  to  find  great  power  by  the 
dynamic  test  whether  they  are  a  little  weak  or  not,  but  if  the  dynamic 
test  with  the  correction  on  shows  more  power  than  it  did  before,  we  have 
proof  of  weakness  sufficient  to  require  absolute  rest  as  a  part  of  the  treat- 
ment, because  the  near-point  of  convergence  is  so  close  to  the  face  that 
the  limit-angle   is  reached  at  the   first  test.     We  add  the   power  of  the 
lens  to  the  showing  by  the  first  test  to  get  the  full  dynamic  power  because 
the  patient  must  have  been  accommodating  just  the  amount  of  the  hyper 
opia  more  than  he  showed  at  the  first  test.    Between  20  and  35  the  dynamic 
test   should  show  exactly  as   much  more  power  with  the   correction   on 
than  before  as  the  lens  represents;  if  he  shows  less  there  is  either  a  mis- 
take in  the  test  or  he  is  in  excellent  condition — which  we  would  usually 
be  inclined  to  doubt  from  the  fact  that  he  came  for  help — but  if  he  shows 
a  greater  increase  than  the  lens  amounts  to  it  is  proof  that  he  is  in  a 
weak    condition.      After    35,    until    presbyopia    begins,    the    dynamic    test 
should  show  an  increase  with  correction  on  equal  to  at  least  twice  the 
strength  of  the  lens  used;  if  he  does  not  it  is  either  weakness  from  causes 
requiring  rest  as  a  part  of  the  treatment  or  from  presbyopia,  and  we  are 
able  to  tell  which  it  is  by  the  general  showing.     No  one  under  45  should 
be  presbyopic  and  if  we  find  one  we  always  order  rest  until  he  recuperates, 
when  he  will  not  need  reading  glasses  if  he  will  wear  his  correction  con- 
stantly— and  if  he  does  not  he  will  wish  he  had  when  the  consequences 
arrive.     He  will  not  be  able  to  secure  comfort  with  any  glasses.     After 
50  presbyopia  comes  gradually,  requiring  occasional  changes  of  the  read- 
ing portion  of  the  glasses,  until  the  full  dioptric  number  for  the  work- 
ing distance  is  accepted,  when  no  more  changes  will  be  necessary.      After 
this  point  is  reached  the  dynamic  test  will  not  work  until,  after  completing 
the  correction  of  the  errors  of  refraction  and  adding  -f-  3.00  for  reading., 
we  require  the  patient  to  hold  the  paper  as  near  to  his  face  as  he  can 
read  a  line,  take  the  measure  in  inches,  express  it  in  diopters,  just  as  in  all 
other  cases,  but  we  must  deduct  the  3.00  we  supplied;  the  remainder  will 
be  the  showing  by  the  dynamic  test,  and  we  get  his  age  from  the  first 
table,  adding  nothing  for  his  error,  unless  he  has  worn  a  correction  many 
years;  and  even  then  we  would  be  more  liable  to  add  something  for  his 
intelligence  and  education  than  for  any  other  reason.     Fourth,  in  begin- 
ning an  examination,  when  we  try  the  dynamic  test,  if  the  patient  shows  the 
power  of  a  younger  person,  according  to  the  first  table,  we  diagnose  hyper- 
opia and  a  vigorous  nervous  system;  but  if  the  static  test,  which  follows, 


88  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

shows  a  —  impulse,  it  tells  us  the  nerve  demand  has  weakened  the  supply, 
and,  at  worst,  we  will  only  have  to  contend  with  a  clonic  spasm;  if  the 
static  test  shows  nothing  there  may  be  either  tonic  spasm  or  neurasthenia 
and  only  the  complete  examination  will  settle  the  question ;  it  is  very  rarely 
however,  that  the  dynamic  and  static  tests  fail  to  tell  their  stories,  and, 
as  I  have  said,  the  other  tests  tell  which  is  right  when  they  differ,  I  may 
add  that  when  they  do  fail  we  still  have  the  others  to  help  us. 

The  neurometer  is  not  only  an  invaluable  aid  in  analyzing  the  condi- 
tion of  the  nerve  supply  but  by  it  we  are  able  to  ascertain  the  seat  of  the 
primary  cause  with  reference  to  whether  it  is  mental  or  physical  or  both* 

Case  I.  G.  A.  M. ;  a  Swede;  mechanic,  neurotic  temperament;  height, 
5  ft.,  9  in.;  weight,  130  lbs.;  history  of  malnutrition  as  child;  varicocele 
since  seventeen  years  old,  for  which  he  was  operated  six  weeks  previous 
to  examination;  appearance,  anaemic  and  neurasthenic;  habits,  good;  diet, 
— ,  without  much  appetite;  dynamic  test,  6.50;  static  test,  20  — ;  vision, 
Lr.  20/20,  R.  20/15;  correction,  L.  +  .75  R.  +  1.00;  dynamic  test,  with 
glasses,  6.50;  static  test,  with  glasses,  o.  k.  The  fact  that  the  dynamic 
test,  when  repeated  shows  no  increase  with  correction  on,  indicates  power- 
ful control  of  his  accommodation,  with  a  tendency  to  clonic  spasm,  so  we 
regard  it  as  a  +  symptom.     We  analyze  his  case  as  follows : 

Dynamic  test,  6.50  =  32  years ;  as  left  eye  fixes,  add  for  -f-  .75,  8  years, 
9  months;  for  mentality,  10  years;  total  50  years,  9  months. 

This  gives  a  range  between  the  accommodation  of  an  emmetrope  at 
32  years,  and  that  of  G.  A.  M.  amounting  to  18  years  9  months,  the  mid- 
point between  the  two  being  41  years  41/2  months.  If  he  is  above  it  he 
is  in  pretty  good  shape  to  win  perfect  health.  Speaking  strictly  physically, 
if  he  is  above  40  years  9  months  he  is  in  good  shape  and  if  below  40  years 
9  months  he  is  in  bad  shape,  but  not  dangerous  unless  he  is  as  young  as 
half  way  down  to  32  years,  which  would  be  36  years  41-2  months, "'  Speak- 
ing strictly  mentally,  he  must  not  be  less  than  40  years  9  months  or  he 
would  collapse;  while  his  maximum  possibility  is  50  years  9  months;  the 
mid-point  between  these  two  is  45  years,  4  months,  15  days,  which  we  will 
assume  to  be  his  age  on  account  of  -f  symptoms  found ;  if  he  is  older  he  is 
in  better  shape  than  we  figure  him;  if  he  is  younger  he  is  in  worse  shape 
than  we  figure  him,  and  we  will  be  governed  in  our  prescription  by  the 
result  of  this  calculation.  A  shorter  way  to  make  the  same  calculation,  so 
far  as  practical  results  are  concerned,  is  to  take  his  6.50  D  accommodation, 
which  equals  32  years,  by  table  No.  1  of  the  neurometer,  add  for  the  error 
in  his  fixing  eye  8  years  9  months,  as  per  table  No.  2,  less  33  1/3  %  for  his 
history,  leaving  5  years  10  months,  then  split  the  difference  between  the 
minimum  (5  yrs.)  and  maximum  (10  yrs.)  adding  7  years  6  months  for  his 
mentality,  making  a  total  of  45  years  4  months.  He  was  on  the  date  of 
examination  45  years  4  months  11  days  old;  showing  by  the  first  caicula- 


CLINICAL  rORTIOX. 


89 


tion,  four  days  to  the  bad,  and  by  the  second  calculation  eleven  days  to  the 
good.  All  of  which  proves  the  greatest  drain  on  the  nerve  supply  has  been 
in  his  mental  department.  Part  of  it  is  accounted  for  by  his  abilities  as  a 
mechanical  inventor,  and  part  by  the  trouble  from  which  he  suffered  so 
long. 

Case  11.  Dr.  Walter,  an  oculist,  practiced  for  twenty  years;  history, 
indigestion,  headaches  and  "catarrh"  of  gall  bladder;  difficult  to  get  story 
as  he  insisted  on  ridiculing  the  neurometer,  and  afterwards  beat  the  college 
out  of  a  son's  tuition  fee;  arteries,  o.  k.,  veins  a  trifle  dark;  dynamic  test  4.25 
static  test  40  —  impulse ;  vision,  L.  20/30,  R.  20/20 ;  never  wore  glasses  and 
declared  he  had  no  defects  in  his  eyes ;  correction,  L  +  .50  +  -5°  ax.  90 ;  R. 
-f-  .50  4-  .50  ax  90;  dynamic  test,  5.25;  static  test  i°  — .  The  neurometer 
indicates  37  years  for  5.25  D.  accommodation  and  his  meridian  of  greatest 
hyperopia  was  1.00  D.,  for  which  we  add  10  years,  because  his  —  symptoms 
were  offset  by  the  -f-  symptoms,  making  him  47  years  old.  The  examina- 
tion was  made  on  the  18th  of  December,  and  one  of  my  pupils  who  did  it, 
threw  off  one  month  for  the  i°  —  symptom  by  the  static  test,  after  corrrec- 
tion,  so  that  it  figured  46  years  11  months,  and  as  the  patient  admitted  he 
would  be  47  January  24th,  the  calculation  showed  him  to  be  six  days  to  the 
bad.  Note,  we  add  nothing  for  his  mentality.  He  had  none  worth  men- 
tioning. 

Case  III.  C.  M.,  teacher;  temperament  -\-;  appearance,  healthy; 
complained  only  of  tired  feeling  and  sleepiness  when  trying  to  do  close 
work;  formerly  had  dyspepsia,  headache,  catarrh;  had  worn  glasses  many 
years  which  proved  the  proper  correction;  dynamic  test,  1.75;  static  testi 
70  —  impulse;  correction,  +  2.50  +  .50  ax.  90,  each  eye;  dynamic,  5.25; 
static  test,  40  —  impulse.  In  this  case,  glasses  having  been  worn  con- 
stantly, and  the  dynamic  test  showing  less  than  7.00  D.,  we  suspected 
presbyopia  which  was  corroborated  by  the  fact  that  the  increase  in  the 
showing,  by  the  dynamic  test,  after  correction  was  only  slightly  greater 
than  the  amount  of  the  error  in  the  worst  meridian;  that  he  was  short  on 
.xervv.  mpply  is  shown  by  the  static  —  impulse  after  correction  and  by 
the  fact  that  he  accepted  readily  +  1.50  addition  for  close  work.  The 
fact  that  he  had  been  wearing  his  correction  several  years,  thus  being  prac- 
tically an  emmetrope,  made  it  necessary  to  make  calculation  as  follows: 
He  worked  at  a  near  point  about  nine  hours  daily,  six  of  which  are  extra 
for  which  the  neurometer  says  add  10  years  to  his  showing,  because,  under 
such  conditions  the  nerve  demands  about  equal  those  of  1.00  D.  hyperopia, 
but  we  deduct  25%  for  —  impulse  by  the  static  test  and  25  %  for  partial 
presbyopia,  leaving  only  5  years  to  be  added  for  his  close  work.  His 
5.25  D.  accommodation  showed  37  years,  to  which  was  added  3  years  4 
months  for  his  error,  and  5  years  for  extra  work,  making  him  45  years  4 
months  on  the  date  of  the  test,  and  he  was  45  years,  4  months,  28  days, 


9° 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


or  28  days  to  the  good.     His  mentality  was  figured  in  his  eiitra  hours* 
work. 

Case  IV.  Miss  B.,  clerk;  appearance,  fairly  good;  complaints,  dysmen- 
orrhoea,  headaches,  difficult  urination,  up  a  dozen  times  nightly,  and 
more  often  during  the  day;  hyperopia,  3.25;  dynamic  test,  4.00  D.  before 
correction  and  7.00  D  after,  static  test,  40 — before  and  40 — after;  her  accom- 
modation after  correction  indicated  30  years,  her  error  called  for  3  years. 
1  month,  15  days  to  be  addded,  and,  on  account  of  the  +  symptoms  shown 
in  the  general  examination  no  allowance  was  made  for  the  —  ones  except  to 
add  the  minimum  for  her  work,  which  is  5  years,  aggregating  38  years,  1 
month  and  15  days.  She  was  38  years,  3  months,  thus  showing  45  days  to 
the  good. 

Case  V.  Father  B.,  priest;  appearance,  fair;  complaints,  catarrh, 
indigestion,  headaches ;  dynamic  test,  8.00  and  9.00 ;  static  test  o.  k. ;  error, 
hyperopia,  1.25.  The  neurometer  shows  23  years,  4  months  for  his  accom- 
modation, 8  years,  9  months  for  his  error,  and  the  minimum  of  5  years  was 
added  for  profession  to  allow  for  his  —  symptoms,  which  were  not  serious, 
inasmuch  as  he  did  little  close  work;  total  37  years,  1  month;  he  was  37 
years,  2  months,  17  days. 

Case  VI.  Mrs.  T. ;  wife;  tired  from  doing  nothing  but  the  society 
drag;  prolapsus  and  "adhesions ;"  in  general  the  -f-  symptoms  almost 
equalled  the  —  ones;  accommodation,  5.50,  indicating  36  years,  to  which 
was  added  6  years,  3  months,  less  10%  for  her  mental  disturbances  over 
old  school  doctors'  stories,  or  5  years,  7  months,  15  days;  making  a  total 
of  41  years,  7  months,  15  days.  She  was  41  years,  8  months,  or  15  days  tq 
the  good. 

Case  VII.  Mrs.  P.,  trained  nurse;  anaemic  and  neurasthenic;  history 
of  endometritis  for  nineteen  years;  came  from  hospital  where  she  had 
four  weeks'  rest  after  a  curettement;  had  been  operated  for  "floating  kid- 
ney" two  years  before;  rheumatism  in  arms  and  feet;  cold  feet  and  hands; 
weighed  119  1-2  lbs;  had  worn  -|-  1.50  for  several  years;  error  -f-  3.00 
accommodation  8.00  D.,  equals  26  years,  8  months;  adding  3  years,  4  months 
for  the  entire  errors,  and  7  years,  6  months  more  for  mentality  made  a  total 
of  37  years,  6  months.  She  was  38  years,  3  months,  or  nine  months  to  the 
good,  on  account  of  her  rest  at  the  hospital,  which  was  the  reason  no 
allowance  was  made  for  her  symptoms,  except  in  adding  for  the  mentality. 
After  twenty  days  further  rest,  on  strict  diet,  she  went  to  work,  stronger 
than  she  had  ever  been,  and  weighing  137  1-2  pounds. 

Case  VIII.  Miss  C,  teacher;  divergent  squint;  anaemic,  neurasthenic, 
sore  spot  in  back,  couldn't  wear  corset,  headaches,  constipation,  indigestion ; 
measured  8.00  D.,  or  26  years,  8  months,  and  1.50  hyperopia,  for  which  was 
added  7  years,  6  months,  making  34  years,  2  months.  Deducting  for  her  — 
symptoms,  25%  for  the  squint,  50%  for  the  anaemia  and  neurasthenia,  25% 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  OI 

for  the  sore  back,  and  50%  for  the  headache,  indigestion,  etc.,  aggregating 
one  and  one  half  times  the  amount  added  for  the  error,  or  11  years,  3 
months,  from  34  years,  2  months  left  22  years,  11  months,  and  when  she 
said  she  was  only  22  years  even,  I  informed  her  if  she  recovered  it  would  be 
a  triumph  for  neurology  as  she  was  below  the  dead-line.  I  fixed  her  back 
in  half  a  minute,  straightened  her  eyes  in  two  days,  and  when  she  showed 
amazing  improvement  in  four  days  I  let  her  go  home  where  she  would 
have  absolute  quiet.  In  three  months  she  reported  well,  gained  21  pounds 
and  was  wearing  a  corset  with  comfort. 

A  MUCH  MOOTED   QUESTION. 

How  to  Treat  Cross-Eyes  and  Alleged  Muscular  Insufficiencies. 

It  is  more  than  passing  strange  how  the  medical  profession  accepts 
assertions  from  self-constituted  authorities  without  putting  them  to  tests 
Long  ago  some  writer  declared  that  cross-eyes  are  caused  by  paralysis  of 
one  of  the  sixth  cranial  nerves  which  operate  the  external  recti,  and  it  has 
been  taken  as  indisputable,  when  if  the  author  of  the  assertion,  or  those 
who  read  after  him  had  possessed  a  modicum  of  knowledge  of  the  mechanics 
of  anatomy  and  of  the  possible  causes  of  derangements  they  could  have 
proved  in  one  minute,  or  less,  that  the  assertion  had  no  foundation  in  fact. 
The  test  is  a  simple  one :  cover  the  fixing  eye  and  direct  the  patient  to  fix 
with  the  other,  without  turning  his  head.  If  he  does  it,  and  I  never  found 
one  who  could  not,  unless  the  eye  was  blind,  it  is  positive  proof  that  the 
nerve  is  not  paralyzed.  Then  it  ought  to  occur  to  a  thinking  doctor  that  it 
would  be  a  queer  state  of  affairs  if  one  of  a  pair  of  nerves  should  be  para- 
lyzed and  no  others  suffer  the .  slightest.  It  is  not  impossible,  but  is  highly 
improbable. 

Again,  it  is  a  common  fault  among  doctors  to  be  satisfied  with  one 
theory  of  cause  and  not  look  for  others.  They  wait  for  the  leaders  to 
make  discoveries  while  they  maintain  the  code  of  ethics'  "air  of  peculiar 
reserve"  toward  the  laity  and  talk  about  the  progress  "we"  are  making. 
I  have  never  seen  a  case  of  convergent  cross-eyes  that  were  not  produced 
by  one  of  two  causes,  ametropia  or  operation.  It  is  true  many  cases  appear 
after  the  spasms  of  whooping  cough  or  irritation  or  exhaustion  from  other 
disorders,  but  the  primary  cause  was  defect  in  the  physical  proportions  of 
the  eyes.  .This  has  been  proved  hundreds  of  times  by  myself  and  my 
pupils  by  correcting  the  defects,  or  overcorrecting  them  for  a  time,  when 
the  eyes  straightened  without  further  assistance.  It  is  very  rarely  that 
operation  is  needed  and  when  we  are  a  little  wiser  I  am  sure  it  will  never 
be  done. 

In  cases  of  cross-eyes,  from  other  cause  than  operation,  both  eyes  de- 
viate, but  the  necessity  for  vision  impels  the  fixing  of  one  eye  by  the  con- 
trolling center,  (one  of  the  most  perfect  illustrations  of  Nature"s  power 
of  adapting  herself  to  circumstances),  while  the  other  is  permitted  to  do 


92 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


all  the  turning. ,  Sometimes  the  eyes  alternate  in  fixing  and  as  such  are 
the  easiest  to  straighten  by  our  method  we  have  learned  that  it  is  a  good 
idea,  in  other  cases,  to  first  create  this  tendency  by  covering  the  fixing 
eye  and  compelling  the  other  to  fix.  In  little  children  we  are  often  able 
to  straighten  the  eyes  without  glasses  by  using  such  tactics  and  strength- 
ening the  general  nerve  supply  by  a  positive  diet.  Of  course,  if  that  fails 
we  know  it  is  because  we  did  not  remove  the  cause,  and  we  resort  to 
glasses.  The  only  reason  we  do  not  put  glassses  on  in  the  beginning  is 
that  while  we  know  the  error  of  refraction  is  there,  we  know  that  if  a  sys- 
tem is  in  perfect  order,  in. every  other  particular,  the  excess  nerve  de- 


Fig.  66 
mands  of  the  eyes  can  be  supplied  without  danger  to  health,  at  least  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  it  is  to  let  the  little  one  go  without  the  inconvenience  of 
glasses  if  possible.  Of  course,  if  there  are  complications,  such  as  headache, 
constipation,  fits,  etc.,  we  use  every  precaution  to  insure  winning  from  the 
beginning.  Then,  occasionally,  when  the  child  has  grown  strong,  we  try 
laying  aside  the  glasses,  always  remembering  and  informing  the  guardian j 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  Q~ 


that  in  so  doing  there  is  some  risk  of  the  eyes  crossing  again ;  but  if  they  do, 
we  can  do  the  work  over. 

The  manner  in  which  hyperopia  causes  convergent  strabismus  will  be 
understood  best  by  first  comprehending  the  normal  relation  between  con- 
vergence and  accommodation. 

Fig.  66  shows  the  two  eyes  fixed  on  a  point,  A,  say  13  inches  distant, 
the  axes  of  the  two  eyes  each  turning  in  to  the  median  line,  and  the  ac- 
commodation working  so  that  A  and  B  B  are  in  conjugate  focus.  The  lat- 
ter, being  two  independent  duties,  each  requires  3.00  D.  effort  from  the 
nervous  system,  while  the  former,  being  a  joint  duty,  only  requires  a  total 
of  3.00  D.,  or  1.50  each,  delivered  through  the  internal  recti  muscles  from 
branches  of  the  third  nerves  that  operate  the  accommodation.  All  is  under 
direction  of  the  controlling  center,  C,  back  in  the  brain;  it,  in  turn  receiv- 
ing its  impulses  from  the  nerves  of  sensation,  the  second  or  optic  nerves. 
As  this  is  the  natural  situation,  and  as  such  functions  belong  practically 
to  the  sympathetic  or  involuntary  system,  let  us  express  it  as  follows: 
An  emmetrope  working  at  13  inches  requires  from  the  nervous  system: 

L..3.00.D. 
For  Accommodation  Total  6.00  D. 

R.  3.00  D. 
L.  1.50  D. 
For  Convergence  Total .  3.00 .  D. 

R..1.50.D. 


Grand  Total 9.00  D. 

In  order  to  put  this  in  still  more  comprehensive  form,  let  one  second 
be  the  unit  of  time  in  our  calculations.  Thus,  if  it  requires  9  D.  for  one 
second  at  the  13  inch  point  it  will  require  60  times  9  D*  per  minute  or  540 
D.,  and  60  times  that  per  hour,  or  3240  D. ;  the  average  number  of  minutes 
close  work  daily  averages  only  about  three  hours,  so  that  the  total  demands 
of  these  two  functions  is  only  97,200  D.  daily. 

Now  take  a  hyperope  of  3  D.,  who  must  use  his  accommodation  unnat- 
urally on  account  of  the  defect  in  the  form  of  the  eye-balls,  but  who  has 
exactly  the  same  anatomical  relations  between  accommodation  and  con- 
vergence. He  cannot  accommodate  without  converging  and  while  the  ac- 
commodation only  brings  his  retina  in  conjugate  focus  with  objects  at  in- 
finite distances,  his  convergence  brings  the  axes  to  a  point  13  inches  away. 
The  only  things  left  for  the  controlling  center  to  do  are,  either  fix  with  one 
eye  and  let  the  other  turn  in  toward  a  point  61/2  inches  from  the  face,  or 
send  enough  energy  to  the  external  recti,  over  the  sixth  nerves,  to  hold 
the  axes  parallel  in  spite  of  the  convergent  pull.  Thus,  there  is  a  two- 
fold strain  on  the  hyerope:  First,  his  demand  is  all  in  excess  of  normal; 
second,  it  forces  nerves .  which .  ordinarily  work  alternately  to  work  at  the 


94 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


same  time.  It  follows,  naturally,  that  when  the  nerve  supply  under  con- 
trol of  C  becomes  weakened,  the  first  place  the  innervation  is  withdrawn 
will  be  from  the  sixth  nerves,  thus  after  an  attack  of  acute  disturbance, 
such  as  typhoid,  scarlet  fever,  diptheria,  or  weakening  from  other  cause, 
the  eyes  are  liable  to  cross.  Or,  if  there  be  spasms,  such  as  from  whooping 
cough,  the  irritation  would  give  the  third  nerves  an  advantage  over  the 
the  sixth  and  the  eyes  may  turn. 

The  nerve  demand  in  a  hyperopia  of  3.00  D.  would  be  as  follows: 

L  3.00  D. 
For  Accommodation  Total  6.00  D. 

R.  3.00  D. 
L.  1.50  D. 
For  Automatic  Convergence  Total  3.00  D. 

R.  1.50  D. 
R.  1.50  D. 
For  negative  pull,  via                                  Total  3.00  Dt 
6th  nerves,  to  prevent            L.  1.50  D. 
convergence  


Grand  Total — 12.00  D. 

Therefore,  12  D.  for  one  second  means  720  D.  for  one  minute,  43,200  D, 
per  hour,  and  691,200  D.  per  day  of  16  hours,  which  is  the  average  time 
people  are  awake  daily.  Then  if  this  person  is  required  to  do  the  average 
number  of  hours  close  work  daily  his  total  demand  is  788,400  D.  daily 
against  the  normal  demand  of  only  97,200  D.  Is  it  any  wonder  he  becomes 
cross-eyed?  Is  it  not  remarkable  that  there  are  not  more  cross-eyed  ones? 
Is  the  assertion  that  eye  strain  is  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  human  ills 
a  claim  to  be  ridiculed  or  disputed?  It  is  only  done  nowadays  by  utter 
ignoramuses. 

The  philosophy  of  my  treatment  of  convergent  squint  should  be  clear 
now:  Simply  correct  the  error  that  requires  the  accommodation  thus  do- 
ing away  with  the  cause  of  convergence,  which  in  turn  makes  the  diver- 
gent pull  unnecessary.  This  is  the  proof  that  every  4-  sphere,  worn  con- 
stantly for  the  correction  of  hyperopia,  saves  twice  as  many  nerve  units 
per  second  as  the  lens  has  units  of  power.  But  it  is  not  so  simple  a  propo- 
sition when  it  comes  to  the  solving  practically.  The  operator  must  not 
only  know  the  anatomy  and  physiology  of  the  eyes  particularly  and  of  the 
system  generally,  the  sympathetic  relationship  between  organic  functions, 
etc.,  but  he  must  know  physics  and  mechanics  and  have  a  natural  tact  and 
adeptness,  not  possessed  by  everyone,  to  measure  the  errors  correctly. 
The  assertion  by  some  would-be  oracles  that  none  but  physicians  are  com- 
petent to  fit  glasses  to  the  eyes  is  foolish  in  view  of  the  fact  that  very  few 
physicians  ever  used  a  set  of  trial  lenses  or  received  any  instruction  what- 
ever about  eyes,  except  possibly  something  about  pathology  of  the  eyes, 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  g  ,- 

and  that  was  false.  Ask  the  first  ten  physicians  you  meet;  be  practical. 
The  assertion  is  on  a  par  with  another,  by  the  same  wiseacres,  that  no  one 
can  get  an  eye  correction  without  first  using  a  cyclopegic.  They  are  the 
same  individuals  who  declare  that  the  old  schools  of  medicine  have  patent 
rights  on  all  discovered  or  undiscovered  methods  of  relieving  human  ills, 
and  expose  themselves  to  ridicule  and  fear  for  their  sanity  by  saying:  "It 
is  better  that  a  patient  die  in  the  hands  of  a  regular  physician  than  recover 
under  the  ministrations  of  an  empiric."  It  is  the  favor  new  schools  are 
meeting  in  the  estimation  of  an  intelligent  public  that  drives  them  frantic, 

A  neurologist,  treating  convergent  squint,  begins  by  disregarding  vi- 
sion to  the  extent  of  prescribing,  for  temporary  wear,  such  +  glasses  as 
will  blur  the  vision  of  the  fixing  eye  for  distant  objects  until  it  is  worse 
than  the  other,  provided,  always  that  the  other  has  enough  to  enable  the 
patient  to  see  sufficiently  to  take  care  of  himself.  Often,  on  returning  in 
a  few  days,  vision  will  have  improved  very  much ;  then  we  blur  some  more* 
until  the  spasms  in  the  ciliary  nerves  and  those  of  the  interni  have  relaxed 
and  the  eyes  are  straight,  when,  if  vision  is  not  perfect,  we  give  the  correc- 
tion that  will  make  it  as  nearly  so  as  is  possible.  Sometimes  the  blurring 
process  is  not  successful  because  the  temperament  of  the  patient  is  such 
that  he  adapts  himself  too  readily  to  any  situation.  In  such  instances  we 
reduce  the  blur  for  a  few  days  to  excite  the  desire  to  see,  and  thus  set  up 
influences  for  reaction.  If  one  eye  is  totally  blind  it  makes  little  difference 
in  the  proceeding;  we  blur  the  good  eye  to  about  20-50  or  20-60,  stop  all 
close  work  and  get  the  system  in  good  condition  by  diet,  rest,  etc.,  as  we 
should  do  in  all  cases,  when  the  blind  eye  will  straighten,  affording  the 
best  possible  proof  our  philosophy  is  correct.  If  one  eye  turns  up  or  down, 
treat  in  the  same  manner. 

If  the  deviation  is  outward  it  is  from  deficiency  to  the  point  of  exhaus- 
tion at  the  time  it  occurred,  or  from  blindness  in  one  eye  which  dis- 
connected it  from  the  controlling  center.  Theoretically  the  practice  sug- 
gested for  convergence  should  not  work,  but  by  modifying  it  a  little  we 
are  often  able  to  get  fine  results,  provided  the  deviating  eye  can  see.  If 
the  patient's  nerve  supply  measures  below  normal  we  blur  the  good  eye 
and  barely  correct  the  other,  to  force  it  into  action,  then  tone  up  the 
system  with  dietary,  rest,  etc.  In  all  cases  no  harm  is  done  by  having  the 
patient  turn  the  deviating  eye  to  the  opposite  side  as  far  as  possible,  the  lids 
being  closed,  then  the  operator  holds  it  by  gentle,  firm  pressure,  while 
patient  tries  to  turn  it  back;  teach  the  patient  to  do  it  himself  at  frequent 
intervals. 

The  length  of  time  required  to  complete  the  work  of  getting  cross-eyes 
to  work  together,  straight,  varies,  from  a  few  seconds  to  several  months. 
Something  depends  on  the  mentality  of  the  patient  and  something  on  the 
physical  temperament,  just  as  in  all  other  things.    The  operating  fiend  ob- 


96  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

jects  that  it  takes  too  long.  We  reply  that  operations  made  unnecessarily 
are  a  crime,  hence  nearly  if  not  quite  all  cross-eye  operations  are  crimes. 
He  says,  "But  your  patients  have  to  wear  glasses."  We  reply,  "So  do 
yours;  if  they  do  not  they  soon  require  another  operation,  and  another 
until  the  eyes  are  finally  worthless."  Almost  half  of  the  total  number 
of  divergent  squint  cases  I  have  met  testified  their  eyes  formerly  turned 
in  but  were  operated,  then  turned  out,  and  they  were  afraid  to  let  the  al- 
leged surgeon  do  any  more  cutting.  There  is  also  more  or  less  danger  of 
blood-poisoning  after  operations. 

But  cutting  muscles  for  cross-eyes  is  a  mild  crime  compared  with  the* 
slashing  oculists  do  for  that  myth  "muscular  imbalance/'  I  have  made  an 
assertion  and  the  proof  is  due.  First,  let  me  make  others  and  I  will  then 
proceed  to  prove  all  at  once :  They  all  apply  what  they  call  muscle  tests. 
The  first  one  comprises  the  Maddox  rod,  or  double  prism  on  one  eye  and  a 
colored  glass  on  the  other.  Let  the  colored  glass  be  on  the  right  eye  for 
this  illustration.  When  adjusted  properly  and  looking  with  both  eyes  the 
patient  should  see  the  colored  light  in  line  with  and  midway  between 
the  other  two,  all  in  a  vertical  position,  and  when  he  does  it  is  called  ortho- 
phoria or  a  normal  state;  but  if  the  red  light  is  seen  to  the  right  they  say 
the  right  eye  is  turning  in  from  a  weakness  of  the  external  rectus  muscle, 
and  as  esophoria  means  a  tendency  inward  they  apply  that  word  to  the  con- 
dition and  declare  they  must  cut  the  internal — because  the  external  is 
weak!  If  the  red  light  appears  to  the  left  it  means  to  them  that  the  in- 
ternal rectus  of  that  eye  is  weak — and  they  cut  the  external!  They  call 
this  exophoria,  because  they  think  the  right  eye  turns  out.  If  the  red 
light  appears  above  the  mid-point  they  call  it  left  hyperphoria,  and  if  below 
that  point,  right  hyperphoria — one  of  them  calls  it  left  "cataphoria,"  but 
as  catoptrics  is  the  science  of  reflections  we  pass  him.  They  apply  the  term 
heterophoria  to  all  deviations.  To  recapitulate  briefly,  they  say  that  irl 
all  imbalances  the  fault  is  in  the  muscles,  that  it  is  always  weakness  of 
the  muscle  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  eye  from  the  way  it  turns  and  that 
the  eye  turns  opposite  to  the  way  the  light  deviates.  I  say,  both  eyes  turn, 
which  is  easily  proved,  theoretically,  by  the  anatomical  and  physiological 
relationship  existing  between  them,  and  practically  by  reversing  the  prisms 
and  colored  glass,  the  latter  being  on  the  left  eye  will  show  as  much  devia- 
tion as  was  shown  by  the  first.  I  am  almost  afraid  to  tell  them  this  lest  they 
cut  the  muscles  of  that  eye  too.  And,  lest  someone  be  misled  by  a  differ- 
ence in  the  amount  of  deviation  when  the  test  is  made,  let  it  be  remem- 
bered that  repeated  tests  with  the  first  arrangement  will  often  show  dif- 
ferent amounts  of  prism  required  to  get  the  lights  in  line,  just  as  the  pa- 
tient grows  more  passive  or  more  irritated  by  the  test.  I  say,  further,  that 
in  the  so-called  heterophoria  the  eyes  deviate  the  same  way  the  lights 
appear  to,  hence  what  they  call  esophoria  is  really  exophoria  and  what 


CLINICAL  PORTION". 


97 


they  call  exophoria  is  really  esophoria,  while  what  they  call  right  hyper- 
phoria, that  is,  right  tending  upward,  is  really  a  downward  tending,  and 
when  they  say  it  turns  downward  it  is  really  tending  upward.  Also  what 
they  call  hyperphoria  is  often  a  vertical  squint  or  hypertropia,  as  they 
would  call  it,  to  class  it  with  cross-eyes.  Finally,  I  say  what  they  call 
muscular  imbalance  is  not  muscle  trouble  at  all,  but  is  due  solely  to  irri- 
tation or  weakness  of  the  nerve  supply  in  the  cerebellum.  All  of  which,  if 
true  proves  their  operations  to  be  crimes,  committed  through  ignorance 
or  willfully.  The  reason  I  added  the  word  "willfully"  is  because,  if  they 
find  the  eyes  in  perfect  balance  by  the  test  described  they  have  another 
called  the  deduction  test,  which  they  apply,  after  having  fixed  an  arbi- 
trary standard  of  power  each  set  of  coordinate  muscles  should  exhibit  and 
if  one  set  shows  more  power  than  the  standard  they  cut  it;  if  it  shows 
less,  they  cut  its  antagonist.  They  put  on  strong  prisms,  apices  over 
the  muscles  to  be  tested  and 

The  interni  must  overcome  not  more  than  240  or  less  than  200. 

The  externi  must  overcome  not  more  than    8°  or  less  than    6°. 

The  superior  must  overcome  not  more  than  40  or  less  than  30. 

The  inferior  must  overcome  not  more  than    40  or  less  than    30. 

Thus  they  discover  what  they  call  "latent"  muscle  troubles.  One 
of  my  students,  aged  60,  exhibited  by  this  test,  8°  with  the  interni,  3^ 
with  the  externi,  and  i°  with  the  superior  and  inferior,  so  I  wrote  one  of 
the  partisans  of  the  test  to  find  which  muscles  to  cut,  inasmuch  as  by  his 
theory  they  all  should  catch  it,  but  I  never  received  a  reply.  I  did  not 
expect  one. 

Now  for  the  proofs:  None  will  deny  that  motor  nerves  are  the  sole 
source  of  power  to  move  muscles  voluntarily.  All  will  admit  a  certair 
elasticity  of  the  fibrous  structure,  but  it  is  always  negative  in  straight 
muscles.  Hence  muscles  are  only  the  mediums  through  which  nerve  force 
is  applied,  just  as  engines  are  only  the  mediums  through  which  steam  and 
electricity  are  applied.  Then,  if  we  have  a  case  of  spasm  of  accommoda- 
tion it  is  irritation  of  the  nervous  system  at  being  called  on  to  work 
overtime,  and  it  is  but  natural  that  other  branches  of  the  same  nerves 
would  feel  the  extra  current,  particularly  those  operating  the  coordinate 
function  with  accommodation,  namely,  the  convergence,  and,  when  the 
double  prism  and  colored  light  test  is  applied  we  would  expect  the  eyes 
to  deviate  inward  as  soon  as  control  was  taken  from  C,  (Fig.  66),  and  if 
the  eyes  carry  the  lights  in  the  same  direction  they  turn,  the  red  light, 
on  the  right  eye,  should  appear  to  the  left  of  the  others,  while  the  others 
should  appear  to  the  right  of  the  red;  in  other  words  the  lights  should 
cross  over  because  the  axes  do.  Now  let  us  see  if  they  do. 

First  take  a  vigorous  person  with  no  presbyopic  tendency  and  put  the 
double  prism  on  the  left  eye,  the  other  being  covered,  and  have  him  look 


■98 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


at  a  small  spot,  say  as  large  as  a  pin  head,  on  a  piece  of  white  paper  at 
about  six  inches  from  his  face,  and  adjust  the  prism  so  he  sees  two  spots 
in  a  vertical  position.  Note  how  the  eyes  are  converging,  then  uncover 
the  right  eye,  when  he  will  tell  you  the  middle  spot  is  decidedly  to  the 
left.  Then  take  a  person  with  a  presbyopic  tendency,  but  who  can  still 
accommodate  some,  and  try  the  same  test,  when  his  right  eye  will  fail 
to  bring  the  middle  spot  even  with  the  others.     Then  draw  a  line  through 


f 


Fig.  67 

the  spot  and  repeat  the  test  on  both,  when,  unless  the  first  one  has  a  tonic 
spasm,  or  cramp,  he  will  see  all  the  spots  on  the  line,  and,  the  second  will 
do  the  same,  unless  his  presbyopic  tendency  is  very  strong.  This  experi- 
ment proves  two  things:  First,  that  the  object  devitates  the  same  way  the 
eyes  turn;  second,  that  the  dot-and-line  test  as  they  use  it,  to  find  "heter- 
ophoria  at  the  near  point,"  is  worse  than  worthless. 

Fig.  67  shows  an  esophoria,  or  inward  tending  of  the  eyes,  under  the 
test.   I  have  drawn  the  deviation  all  in  one  eye  in  order  to  make  the  illus- 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


99 


tration  simpler.  The  left  eye,  with  the  double  prism,  sees  two  lights  at 
twenty  feet,  one  above  and  the  other  below  the  axis  at  the  macula  because 
the  prisms  are  of  equal  strength ;  and  its  axis  is  in  direct  line  with  the  real 
light,  because  we  permit  the  patient  to  fix  before  uncovering  the  other 
eye.  The  other,  when  uncovered,  gives  way  to  the  positive  or  negative 
impulse  present  because  the  two  eyes  are  thrown  out  of  gear  and  the  con- 
trolling center,  not  being  able  to  fuse  its  image  with  the  other  two,  simply 
lets  it  drift  with  general  conditions.  In  this  case  it  is  a  positive  impulse, 
also  exhibited  by  spasm  of  accommodation  and  of  sphincter  nerves  through- 
out the  body,  so  the  axis  A  turns  in  from  the  normal  line  X  which  is  the 
exact  direction  of  the  object.  The  turn  is  so  slight,  however,  that  the  ray, 
X.  crosses  the  axis,  A,  before  reaching  the  lens,  and  is  broken  back  toward 
the  axis  so  that  it  strikes  the  macula  as  nearly  the  center  as  either  of  the 
images  in  the  other  eye  can  be,  and,  as  the  direction  from  the  lens  to  M 
is  as  if  the  ray  came  from  O.  the  light  appears  to  be  at  O.  If  from  weakness 
of  the  supply  to  the  third  nerve  branches  the  eyes  deviate  apart  when 
thrown  out  of  gear,  the  lines  O  and  A  would  be  on  the  other  side  of  the 
line  X.  The  prism,  apex  toward  the  position  where  the  center  light  should 
be,  which  puts  the  deviating  lights  in  line,  does  not,  as  they  think,  meas- 
ure the  amount  of  the  deviation  in  degrees.  It  merely  indicates  the  rela- 
tive intensity  of  the  spasm  or  the  extent  of  the  weakness  in  the  nervous 
system,  as  is  proved  readily  by  measuring  the  distance  of  the  deviation 
in  inches  and  observing  that  while  it  may  remain  the  same  at  different 
tests  the  amount  of  prism  required  to  supply  the  impulse  to  put  the  lights 
in  line  is  variable.  Also,  one  person,  with  a  deviation  of  twelve  inches, 
may  require  a  120  prism  while  another  with  greater  deviation  may  need 
lebs.  The  best  way  to  take  these  measures  is  to  have  a  strip  of  white 
paper  several  feet  long  on  the  wall,  with  the  light  hanging  exactly  in  the 
middle,  and  through  the  middle  of  the  paper  have  a  plain,  black  line, 
half  an  inch  wide,  with  vertical  lines  drawn  through  it  every  few  inches. 
This  will  appear  in  duplicate  through  the  double  prism ;  then  have  the  pa- 
tient tell  where  the  red  light  is  with  reference  to  these  lines. 

The  neurologist  uses  this  test,  not  as  a  muscle  or  eye  test,  but  as  a 
static  test  of  the  state  of  the  general  nerve  supply.  He  would  no  more 
think  of  prescribing  prisms  for  such  deviations  than  he  would  think  of  cut- 
ting muscles,  and  he  would  no  more  cut  muscles  than  he  would  cut  throats. 
We  never  supplant  nature,  and  we  never  try  to  assist  her  unless  we  know 
exactly  why  we  do  what  we  do.  When  this  test  is  off.  the  eyes  are  in 
gear  and  the  controlling  center  supplies  all  the  impulse  necessary. 

Then  there  is  another  "phoria,"  called  cyclophoria,  in  which  the  eyes 
turn  on  their  optical  axes  and  present  oblique  astigmatism  when  the  prin- 
cipal meridians  should  be  vertical  and  horizontal.  If  there  is  a  spasm  of 
the  nervous  -system  it  may  exhibit  in  the  inferior  oblique  muscles  and 


IOO 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


pull  the  eyes  inward  below,  rolling  the  tops  outward,  or,  if  there  is  nerve 
exhaustion,  the  inferior  oblique  will  be  enervated,  letting  the  superior 
oblique  pull  in  at  the  top,  from  its  elasticity,  when  there  is  less  resistance 
than  usual,  rolling  the  lower  parts  outward.  The  reason  in  both  cases 
is  that  the  inferior  oblique  is  operated  by  the  same  nerves  that  supply  the 
accommodation  and  the  internal  recti,  hence  the  tension,  or  lack  of  it,  on 
all  muscles  operated  by  the  same  nerves.  A  test  for  cyclophoria,  which  is 
not  reliable,  however,  is  to  put  the  double-prism  on  one  eye  and  adjust  it 
so  that  a  patient  looking  at  a  horizontal  line,  about  half  an  inch  wide  and 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  away,  will  see  two ;  then  uncover  the  other  eye  when 
he  should  see  a  third,  midway  between  and  parallel  with  the  two  seen  by 
the  first  eye.  If  the  nasal  ends  tilt  downward,  the  principal  meridians 
nearest  horizontal  are  tilting  upward,  indicating  a  spasm  of  the  nervous 
system,  exhibited  in  the  inferior  oblique  muscles;  if  the  nasal  ends  tilt 
upward  it  indicates  the  principal  meridians  are  tilting  downward  from 
nervous  weakness,  exhibited  through  the  inferior  oblique  muscles.  This 
is  just  opposite  to  the  indications  by  the  test  with  cylinders,  when  there  is 


Fig.  68 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


IOI 


astigmatism,  because  then  we  have  the  positions  of  the  principal  meridians 
indicated  by  the  axes  of  the  cylinders.  The  reason  the  prisms  and  line 
test  is  worthless  is  the  same  that  makes  the  dot-and-line  test  a  nullity, 
viz.:  the  lines  offer  the  controlling  center  a  guide  and  it  often  takes  the 
hint  disclosing  no  disturbance  because  the  parallelism  of  the  lines  is  main- 
tained. In  all  cases  where  there  is  doubt  about  the  location  of  the  axes, 
prescribe  temporary  -f-  spheres.  It  is  proper  to  say  that  when  astigmatism 
is  great  enough  to  impair  vision  seriously  it  rarely  creates  nervous  effort 
enough  to  upset  the  system. 

The  treatment  indicated  by  -f-  impulses  is  stop  the  cause  of  spasm 
by  correcting  the  hyperopia  and  the  symptoms  dynamic  and  static  will 
soon  disappear.  If  there  are  —  impulses  they  mean  rest  in  addition  to 
the  correction.  In  connection  with  both  we  find,  often,  other  causes  of 
disturbance  and  we  remove  all  of  them  without  operation,  except  a  few 
hopeless  cases  who  must  be  content  to  take  the  chances  of  operation, 
which,  if  successful,  can  only  keep  alive  what  is  left ;  they  are  never  whole 
afterward.  We  send  them  to  those  who  boast  they  would  rather  operate 
than  eat — we  prefer  to  eat  and  think  we  are  greater  surgeons  when  we 
can  save  a  person  whole  than  those  are  who  take  chances  wholly  unne- 
cessary and  refuse  to  investigate  our  methods,  but,  nevertheless,  condemn 
them  even  to  libeling  us. 

"But,"  you  say,  "how  did  your  opponents  get  the  idea  that  in  hetero- 
phoria  the  eyes  deviate  opposite  to  the  way  the  lights  do?"  All  right,  I'll 
answer  that  too. 

Fig.  68  shows  two  eyes  fixing  on  a  point  six,  or  eight,  or  more  inches 
away,  and  X  X  represent  rays  coming  from  a  light  fifteen  or  more  feet 
distant.  While  only  one  image  of  O  will  be  conveyed  to  the  brain,  there 
will  be  two  of  the  distant  object ;  they  will  be  imperfect,  that  is,  not  clear, 
because  the  eyes  are  in  conjugate  focus  with  the  nearer  point  and  because 
the  retinal  impressions  are  not  made  on  a  highly  sensative  part — some  of 
the  image  falling  on  the  blind  spot — and  as  refraction  by  both  cornea  and 
lens  is  in  the  outer  hemisphere  the  lights  appear  in  the  directions  X1  X1 
on  the  dash  lines.  This  is  because  the  convergence  of  the  two  eyes  is  be- 
yond the  limit  angle.  The  reader  may  try  this  and  will  find  it  true  that 
when  the  eyes'  axes  turn  so  much  with  reference  to  a  line  toward  a  dis- 
tant object,  the  object  will  exhibit  the  opposite  deviation. 

Fig.  69  shows  a  left  eye  fixing  and  the  right  doing  the  turning  per- 
ceptibly, so  that  a  ray  from  the  object  O  appears  as  if  located  at  O2.  If 
the  eye  turned  out  the  lines  Ax  and  Oc  would  be  reversed.  When  we  are 
working  with  cross-eyes  and  the  patient  complains  of  seeing  double  we 
know  we  are  getting  along  with  the  case  nicely  and  as  soon  as  the  con- 
trolling center  gets  a  hold  the  eyes  will  straighten  and  remain  straight. 
Usually  the  deviating  eye  turns  enough  to  let  the  image  fall  on  its  blind 


102 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METArilYSICS. 


^ 


Fig.  69 

spot  so  it  does  not  send  any  image  to  the  brain,  which  relieves  mental 
worry. 

Fig.  70  shows  another  situation  which  the  reader  may  try.  Fix  the 
eyes  on  the  distant  object  so  that  the  axes  are  parallel,  as  are  X  X  in  the 
cut,  then  hold  a  pencil,  or  the  finger,  a  few  inches  away,  when  there  will 
appear  to  be  two,  the  right  eye  seeing  the  one  on  the  left  and  the  left  eye 
seeing  the  one  on  the  right,  as  shown  by  the  dash  lines.  This  is  because 
the  visual  axes  are  beyond  the  limit  angle  for  rays  from  the  near  point. 
This  shows  how,  if  the  eyes  turn  out  a  distant  object  would  bt  seen  as 
two,  deviating  opposite  to  the  direction  the  eyes  turn,  except  when  they 
turn  so  far  one  does  not  participate  in  vision  at  all. 

My  answer  then,  is:  My  critics  think  because  the  lights  deviate  op- 
posite to  the  turn  of  the  eyes  in  strabismus  it  must  be  true  in  all  cases, 
whether  the  eyes  turn  perceptibly  or  not,  which  proposition  is  false  as  I 
have  proved,  anatomically,  physiologically,  physically  and  clinically  here, 
while  several  hundred  pupils  and  myself  have  proved  it  in  practice  so  long 
that  it  seems  almost  absurd  to  give  it  so  much  space  at  this  time. 


CLINICAL  TORTION. 


IO3 


Fig.  70 


So  long  as  the  deviation  of  the  eyes  does  not  disfigure  the  appearance 
there  is  no  squint  and  when  there  is  squint  there  is  no  need  for  a  muscle 
test  to  tell  which  way  the  deviation  is.  When  there  is  no  deviation  except 
as  exhibited  by  the  test  the  eyes  always  deviate  in  the  same  direction  the 
lights  do.    I  think  that  is  stated  plainly  enough,  and  proved  by  the  figures. 

Vertical  deviations  show  squint  and  exhibit  diplopia  with  less  amount 
of  turn  than  in  any  other  direction  because  the  superior  and  inferior  recti 
are  operated  by  the  same  nerve  branches  and  thus  reach  their  limit  angles 
quicker  as  is  illustrated  by  the  duction  test. 

SOME  PRISM   FIGURES. 

Which  Prove  the  Fallacy  of  Claims  for  Them  as  Therapeutic  Agents. 

As  refracting  mediums  and  therapeutic  agents  prisms  offer  two  dis- 
tinct propositions.  The  first  has  been  treated  in  the  chapter  on  physics 
and  the  other  is  due  to  receive  attention.  < 

Take  an  emmetrope,  or  an  ametrope,  in  good  condition,  so  that  the 
static  test  shows  the  three  lights  in  line,  and  watch  his  eyes  as  you  drop 


io4 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


in  front  of  one  of  them  a  io-degree  prism,  base  out.  You  will  see  them 
turn  in  perceptibly.  The  one  on  which  the  prism  is  placed  will  turn  in 
at  once  while  the  other  will  turn  out  first,  then  in,  as  soon  as  it  finds  the 
first  stops.  This  is  because  the  first  impulse  to  the  other  eye  was  transmit- 
ted by  way  of  the  optic  commissure  and  the  second  by  the  controlling 
center  when  it  discovered  the  situation.  Now  make  a  long  horizontal 
line  on  the  wall,  in  the  middle  of  it  hang  a  light ;  on  either  side  of  the  light 
draw  short  vertical  lines  about  two  inches  apart,  making  them  plain  enough 
to  be  seen  readily ;  then,  with  the  two  lights  seen  through  the  double  prism 
and  the  red  one  seen  by  the  other  eye,  all  in  line,  suddenly  impose  a 
4-degree  prism  base  out  in  front  of  the  red  glass  and  have  the  patient 
state  the  amount  of  the  deviation  caused  by  locating  the  position  of  the 
red  light  with  reference  to  the  short  vertical  lines,  which  will  of  course 
appear  as  two  sets  through  the  double  prism  (have  patient  ignore  all  seen 
with  the  red  eye,  excepting  the  light) .  Remove  the  trial  frame  and  take  two 
strings,  each  long  enough  to  reach  from  the  patient  to  the  wall:  have  him 
hold  two  ends,  one  under  each  pupil,  while  the  operator  takes  the  other 
two  ends  and  holds  them  taut  at  the  points  where  the  light  is  and  where 
the  displacement  located  it,  the  string  from  what  was  the  red  eye  running 
to  the  displaced  position  and  the  other  to  the  real  position.  These  repre- 
sent the  true  visual  axes  of  the  two  eyes  under  the  test  and  the  distance 
from  the  face  to  the  point  where  they  cross  shows  the  exact  angle  of  con- 
vergence caused  by  the  prism.  It  will  be  found  to  be  approximately  one 
meter  in  tests  of  normal  eyes,  hence  we  know  that  a  4-degree  prism  base 
out  causes  practically  one  meter-angle  of  convergence,  requiring  .50  D. 
effort  in  each  eye.  Inasmuch  as  when  such  effort  is  caused  in  a  natural 
way  by  a  demand  for  accommodation,  and  as  putting  prisms  on  emmetropic 
eyes  (or  on  fully  corrected  ametropic  eyes),  causes  dimness  of  distant 
vision,  we  know  the  impulse  to  converge,  even  when  caused  artificially, 
brings  with  it  the  proportionate  amount  of  accommodation,  we  have  the 
figures  for  the  nerve  strain  which  would  be  caused  by  such  prism  as  follows : 

Convergence     L     .50. 

R    .50.    Total  1. 
Automatic  Ace,    L  1.00. 

R  1. 00     Total  2. 


Grand  Total       3  D.  per  second. 

60 


180  D.  per  minute. 
60 


10800  D.  per  hour. 
16 


172,800  D.  per  day  of  16  hours. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


I05 


In  a  hyperope  of  1.00  D.  the  same  prisms  could  be  used  to  advantage 
because  they  would  save  one-fourth  of  the  abnormal  demands,  thus: 
Accommodation     L  1.00 

R  i;oo    Total  2. 
Auto-convergence  L    .50 

R    .50  Total  1. 
•50 


Negative  pull  by    L 
external  recti  to 
prevent  convergence.      R 


.50  Total  1. 


4.  D.  per  sec. 
60 


240  D.  per  min. 
60 


14400  D.  per  hour. 
16 


86400 
14400 

230,400  D.  Daily  16  hrs. 

The  prisms,  making  the  convergence  a  necessity  while  the  accommoda- 
tion adapts  the  focus,  the  negative  pull  is  not  needed,  and,  as  it  consti- 
tutes one-fourth  of  the  total  the  prisms  save  57,600  D.  daily.  But  would  not 
a  doctor  be  a  chump  to  save  that  when  he  could,  with  a  simple  pair  of  4- 
spheres,  save  the  whole  230,400? 

Here  is  another  notable  thing:  If  the  prisms  be  prescribed  in  com- 
bination with  the  sphere  the  effect  would  be  just  the  same  as  with  the 
prisms  alone,  for,  the  prisms  alone  save  57,600  out  of  230,400,  leaving  the 
net  strain  172,800,  while  in  the  combination  the  lenses  would  make  the  eyes 
emetropic  and  we  have  shown  that  the  strain  on  an  emmetrope  is  172,- 
800. 

Here  is  another:  A  pair  of  -f-  .75  lenses  each  ground  in  combination 
with  20  base  out,  would  be  exactly  neutralized  therapeutically,  except  the 
psychic  effect. 


Accommodation 

L 

•75 

■ 

• 

R 

•75 

Total  1.50 

Auto-convergence 

L 

•37V2 

R 

•37V2 

Total     .75 

Negative  pull, . . 

L 

•3772 

6th  nerves. 

R 

•3772 

Total     .75 

Grand  Total   3.  D.  per  sec. 

3x60x60x16  =  172,800  D.  daily. 


Iq6  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

The  correction  makes  patient  emmetropic  and  saves  the  above  amount* 
but  then  the  prisms  come  in  and  cause : 
Convergence  L     .50 

R     .50     Total  1. 
L  1. 00 
Automatic  Ace.     R  1.00      Total  2. 


Grand  Total 3.  D.  per  sec. 

3x60x60x16  =  172,800  D.  daily. 
Then  take  a  hyperope  of  1.00  D.  and  correct  the  error,  but  combine 
40  prism,  base  out,  with  each  lens,  and  the  effect  would  be:   The  spheres 
make  an  emmetrope  and  save  230,400  D.  daily,  but  the  prisms  cause  two 
meter-angles  convergence  and  total  nerve  strain,  thus: 

L  1.00  m 
Convergence  Total  2. 

R  1. 00 
L  2.00 
Automatic  Ace.  Total  4. 

R  2.00 


Grand  Total.. 

6.  D.  per  sec. 

60 

360  D.  per  min. 
60 

21600  D.  per  hr. 
16 

* 

129600 
21600 

345,600  D.  daily, 
or  exactly  the  equivalent  of  the  strain  caused  by  1.50  hyperopia.    The  same 
result  could  have  been  obtained  with  a  pair  of  —  .50  spheres. 

Take  a  hyperope  of  3.00  with  a  total  strain  of  691,200  Di.  daily  and 
give  him  +  2.00,  C  2°  base  out,  each  eye,  and  the  lenses  will  save  460,800, 
while  the  prisms  save  one-fourth  of  the  rest  or  57,600,  a  grand  total  of 
518,400  out  of  a  possible  691,200;  but  if  +  1.00  had  been  added  to  the 
lens  instead  of  the  prism,  the  whole  would  have  been  saved. 

Take  the  same  case  and  combine  with  the  +  2.00  lenses  40  prism  each 
and  the  effect  will  be  that  the  lenses,  leaving  1.00  D.  hyperopia  uncor- 
rected, would  mean  nerve  strain 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 
L.    1. 00 

For  Accommodation  total  2. 

R.  1. 00 

L.  .50 
Auto-convergence  total  1. 

R.  .50 

L.  .50 
Negative  pull  total  1. 

R.  .50 


107 


Grand  total 4.  D.  per  second. 

But  when  the  prisms  get  in  their  work  the  result  is  different.    They  cause 
a  strain  as  follows : 

L.  1. 00 
For  convergence  total  2.   . 

R.  1. 00 
L/.  2.00 
Auto-accommodation  total  4. 

R.  2.00 


Grand  total 6.  D.  per  second. 

There  would  be  some  benefit  even  from  this  combination  because  the  orig- 
inal strain,  from  the  error,  was  12  D.  per  second  and  half  of  it  would  be 
saved;  but  if  the  prisms  were  left  out  two-thirds  would  be  saved. 

The  whole  matter  resolves  itself  into  this:  If  40  base  out  causes 
172,800  D.  daily  strain  on  an  emmetrope,  whether  naturally  so  or  made 
that  way  artificially,  i°  would  cause  43,200  D.  daily  up  to  the  limit  of 
capacity  to  overcome  prism  degrees,  and  to  find  the  damage  any  amount 
of  prism  base  out  will  do,  multiply  the  above  figure  by  the  strength  of 
prism.  The  reason  prisms  do  not  always  do  harm  is  because  the  doctor  un- 
wittingly leaves  part  of  the  hyperopia  uncorrected  or  the  benefit  from  the 
spheres  is  so  much  greater  than  the  damage  done  by  the  prisms  that  the 
net  result  is  good.  But  neither  the  prisms  nor  the  doctor  deserves  any 
credit. 

We  are  not  yet  able  to  measure  the  exact  strain  when  the  prism  is 
base  in,  but  it  is  a  resasonable  estimate  to  put  it  at  about  one-fifth  as 
much  as  if  base  out,  because  it  bears  on  the  6th  nerves  which  have  no 
branches,  while  the  3d  have  five  principal  ones,  therefore  each  degree, 
base  in,  would  cause  8,640  D.  daily  strain,  up  to  the  limit  of  capacity  to 
overcome  them.  Base  up  or  down,  would  bear  on  3d  nerves  again  and  we 
estimate  the  strain  at  one-third  as  much  as  if  base  out,  or  14,400  for 
each  i° 

The  capacity  of  the  interni  rarely  exceeds  200 ;  that  of  the  externi  6° ; 
that  of  the  superior  and  inferior  recti  30. 


I08  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

To  test  the  pulling  powers  of  prisms  within  the  limit,  and  the  non- 
pulling  powers  of  those  which  exceed  the  limit,  take  a  2°,  hold  it  base 
down  in  front  of  one  eye,  both  being  open,  and  look  at  a  light  several  feet 
distant,  when  it  will  appear  as  two;  fix  on  it  until  it  appears  single,  then 
withdraw  the  prism.  If  it  does  not  pull  when  put  on  it  will  as  it  leaves. 
Then  try  a  io°  in  the  same  manner  and  there  will  be  no  pull  because  the 
job  is  such  a  big  one  there  is  no  effort  to  do  it. 

Possibly  some  eye  doctors  who  have  been  prescribing  prisms  with 
varying .  results  will  now  be  able  to  see  why  they  won  when  they  won 
and  why  they  failed  when  they  failed,  which  was  frequently. 

"But,"  someone  says,  "What  are  you  going  to  do  about  the  muscles 
when  tests  indicate  prisms  are  needed?"  I  deny  there  are  any  such  cases, 
with  the  possible  exception  of  a  lack  of  ability  in  some  old  people  to 
converge  or  in  a  myope  who  tires  at  close  work  or  without  correction, 
when  prisms,  bases  in,  might  be  used  for  reading  only,  in  connection  with 
the  additional  spheres  required  in  the  case  of  the  presbyope  and  without 
lenses  for  the  myope;  I  never  saw  but  one  person  who  required  them 
even  for  that  purpose.  In  case  of  such  need,  however,  here  are  the 
figures : 

For  i  meter-angle     40  base  in,  part  in  each  eye. 

For  2  meter-angle    8°  base  in,  part  in  each  eye. 

For  3  meter-angle  120  base  in,  part  in  each  eye. 

For  4  meter-angle  160  base  in,  part  in  each  eye. 

For  5  meter-angle  200  base  in,  part  in  each  eye. 

One  meter-angle  is  40   inches. 

Two  meter-angle  is  20  inches. 

Three  meter-angle  is  13  inches. 

Four  meter-angle  is  10  inches. 

Five  meter-angle  is  8  inches. 
BYE  INSTRUMENTS  AND  MACHINES. 
Saving  the  Ophthalmoscope  the  Remainder  Are  Valuable  Only  to  Bluffers. 
The  ophthalmoscope  is  easily  the  most  important  objective  instru- 
ment used  in  examinations  of  cases,  but  few  realize  the  fact  as  is  proved 
by  the  manner  in  which  they  use  it.  The  indirect  method  of  observation 
consists  of  throwing  light  into  the  eye  from  a  point  ten  or  twelve  inches 
away  and  interposing  a  strong  +  sphere ;  this  may  be  imposing  in  appear- 
ance but  it  is  mostly  humbug  on  the  part  of  the  operator  because  he  can 
not  hold  all  the  points  necessary  to  be  in  line  to  see  anything  of  the  retina 
and  when  he  is  able  to  do  it  he  only  gets  an  inverted  aerial  image.  If  one 
insists  upon  that  method  he  should  get  one  of  my  instruments.  Fig.  71, 
because  it  keeps  all  points  in  line  and  gives  the  best  results  possible 
indirectly.  It  is  comparatively  inexpensive,  is  portable,  weighs  only  seven 
pounds  and  is  lighted  directly  instead  of  by  mirrors. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


IO9 


The  best  method  is  the  direct  one,  because  the  operator  sees  the 
retina  instead  of  its  picture,  and  sees  it  upright  instead  of  reversed,  be- 
sides the  facilities  it  affords  for  exploring  parts  not  possible  by  the  indi- 
rect method.  The  Loring,  nineteen-lens  instrument,  Fig.  72,  is  the  best 
because  it  is  simplest.     It  comprises  in  one  disk  fifteen  lenses,  from  1.  D. 


Fig".  71 

to  7.D.  -f-  and  from  1.  D.  to  8.  D.  — ;  then  a  second  disk  carries  four  lenses 
4-  .50  and  -f-16.  D.  and  — .50  and  —  16  D.  If  more  than  the  highest  num- 
ber in  the  lower  disk  is  wanted  turn  on  the  16.  D.,  +  or  — ,  then  rotate 
the  under  disk  until  the  desired  number  shows.  A  +  J6.  on  -f-  7.  would 
register  -f-  23.  of  course,  but  by  rotating  the  lower  disk  the  -f-  7.  is  dis- 
placed and  —  8.  is  combined  with  the  +  16.  giving  +  8.,  then  further  rota- 
tion brings  it  on  up  to  +  16.  and  still  more  turning  add  +  1.,  2.,  3.,  etc., 
up  to  23.  D.  again.     The  —  works  in  the  same  manner,  up  to  24.  D. 


Fig    72 

Books  on  the  use  of  the  ophthalmoscope  are  misleading  in  two  im- 
portant directions:  First,  many  of  them  convey  the  idea,  either  directly 
or  indirectly,  that  the  authors  measure  errors  of  refraction  with  it,  which 
is  an  impossibility,  because  not  only  the  patient  but  the  operator  would 
have  to  be  atropized  so  thoroughly  that  neither  could  work  the  accommo- 
dation, and  were  that  possible,  the  skill  required  to  get  the  same  focus 


no 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


on  the  vertical  and  horizontal  vessels,  the  vertical  being  much  larger^ 
would  be  impossible  of  attainment;  hence  such  claims  are  either  foolish 
or  deliberate  lies.  Second,  they  illustrate  diseases  and  alleged  diseases 
and  the  student  abandons  the  instrument  because  he  finds  nothing  tc 
correspond  with  the  pictures.  The  real  value  of  the  ophthalmoscope  lies 
in  the  facility  it  affords  for  the  study  of  the  quality  and  quantity  of  the 
blood  in  every  case.  It  is  of  little  value  to  the  oculist  because  he  is 
strictly  an  eye  doctor,  and  has  no  idea  of  the  relation  of  the  eyes  to 
general  ills.  When  the  general  practitioner  learns  what  he  should  there 
will  be  nothing  left  for  the  oculist  or  optician,  while  the  neurologist  will  al- 
ways be  in  demand  because  of  his  drugless  creed  and  general  utility. 

The  things  to  learn  about  ophthalmoscopic  practice  are:  First,  how 
to  place  the  patient;  second,  how  to  get  the  best  view  of  the  fundus; 
third,  what  are  the  variety  of  appearances  of  the  normal  retina;  fourth 
how  to  differentiate  between  physiological  freaks  and  true  pathological 
conditions;  fifth,  the  relation  between  exhibits  and  causes;  sixth,  what  to 
do  for  them. 

The  patient  should  be  seated  comfortably  and  look  straight  ahead. 
The  optic  disk  is  always  the  chief  objective  point  and  as  it  is  located  about 
fifteen  degrees  from  the  posterior  pole,  on  the  nasal  side,  the  operator 
must  throw  light  into  the  pupil  from  a  point  about  the  same  distance  on 
the  temporal  side;  the  light,  if  a  mirror  without  electric  attachment  is 
used,  should  be  about  two  feet  behind  the  patient  and  far  enough  on  tho 
side  so  that  it  will  shine  past  the  edge  of  the  orbit  to  the  mirror,  leaving 
the  eye  in  the  shadow.  If  the  luminous  instrument  is  used  it  is  easier  to 
get  light  into  the  eye,  but,  on  account  of  an  awkward  crook  in  the  handle 
to  make  room  for  the  small  electric  globe,  it  is  not  so  convenient  in  mak- 
ing wide  explorations.  The  light,  the  patient  and  the  operator  must  be 
on  the  same  plane,  which  may  be  either  horizontal  or  oblique ;  if  oblique, 
and  the  operator  is  shorter  than  the  patient,  the  light  must  be  higher; 
if  he  is  taller  than  the  patient,  the  light  must  be  lower;  if  on  a  level,  the 
light  must  correspond.  If  the  first  attempt  fails  to  give  a  good  view,  try 
again.  A  good  guide  is  to  imagine  the  patient  has  two  eyes  in  the  back 
of  his  head,  and  if  looking  into  the  right,  aim  so  the  light  would  pass 
through  the  middle  head  and  out  through  the  imaginary  right  eye  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  head.  If  the  blood-vessels  are  seen,  but  not  clearly, 
twist  the  handle  of  the  instrument  a  trifle  so  as  to  change  the  direction 
of  the  light ;  if  the  disk  and  vessels  are  seen,  but  dimly,  turn  on  —  spheres 
to  offset  the  operator's  accommodation.  Unless  the  operator  has  much 
astigmatism  it  is  best  to  work  without  glasses  because  the  need  can  be 
supplied  from  the  battery  of  lenses  in  the  instrument.  Learn  to  use 
either  eye,  allowing  the  other  to  remain  open.     Do  not  twist  the  neck; 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


Ill 


sit  erect,  except  that  it  is  necessary  to  lean  forward  slightly.  The  back 
of  the  operator's  chair  should  be  even  with  the  front  of  that  occupied  by 
the  patient.     A  piano  stool  or  other  adjustable  chair  is  convenient. 

Fig.  73  shows  an  average  normal  retina,  except  that  the  veins,  th<$ 
darkest  lines,  are  a  little  too  dark;  there  should  be  a  faint  light  streak 
in  them,  as  shown  in  the  arteries,  represented  by  the  lighter  lines,  which 
are  a  trifle  too  light.  The  white  spot  in  the  center  is  the  optic  disk,  or 
blind  spot,  where  the  retinal  arteries  and  nerves  enter  and  the  veins  leave 


Fiff.  73 

the  globe;  the  solid  field  shows  the  capillary  system,  which,  combined 
with  the  nerve  branches  by  delicate  connective  tissue,  constitute  the 
retina  which  extends  from  the  edge  of  the  disk  forward  to  the  edge  of  the 
ciliary  body.  The  vessels  should  be  of  regular  sizes,  gradually  smaller 
toward  the  periphery  as  they  divide  into  branches.  The  currents  of  the 
arteries  are  from  the  disk  and  those  of  the  veins  toward  it.  Examination 
of  a  dozen  or  two  pairs  of  eyes  of  healthy  persons  will  give  the  student 
a  better  idea  of  what  the  average  condition  is  than  a  whole  volume  of 
pictures  could  do.  He  will  discover  that  in  healthy  children  the  con- 
tents of  the  arteries  and  veins  is  so  nearly  the  same  color  that  it  would 


112 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


be  difficult  to  distinguish  them  were  it  not  for  the  extra  size  of  the  veins ; 
while  in  youth  and  middle  age  the  difference  is  marked,  and  in  old  people 
quite  decidedly  so,  partly  because  of  diminution  in  the  arterial  supply  and 
partly  because  of  lack  of  tension  in  the  walls  of  vessels  which  permits 
them  to  flatten  under  the  pressure  of  the  vitreous  humor  against  them, 
In  brunettes  the  blood  is  usually  darker  than  in  blondes.     There  may  be 


Fig.  74 

deposits  of  pigment  partly  or  all  around  the  edge  of  the  disk;  or  there 
may  be  great  patches  of  pigment  or  even  a  deposit  as  white  and  shiny 
as  the  sclerotic,  without  inflammation,  interference  with  the  vascular  sys- 
tem, or  diminution  of  vision.  The  number  of  visible  vessels  varies  frorr 
six  to  as  high  as  thirteen.  The  vessels  may  not  come  so  near  to  each  other 
in  the  center  of  the  disk  as  shown  in  Fig.  73  and  some  may  disappear  at 
the  edge  of  the  disk  as  shown  in  Fig.  74.  These  appearances  are  caused 
by  a  cupping  of  the  disk  and  have  no  particular  significance.  Fig.  74 
was  drawn  from  an  eye  alleged  to  be  glaucomatous,  but  +  2-5o  lenses 
removed  all  the  other  symptoms  and  the  patient  is  still  happy  after  nine 
years.  The  fairy  stories  about  glaucoma,  its  causes  and  cures,  are 
enough  to  make  angels  weep.  One  writer  declared  he  caused  it  in  one 
wee  k  with  atropine  and  cured  it  the  next  week  with  eserine.  A  reputa- 
ble ophthalmic  paper  printed  the  story  too. 

In  myopia  the  vessels  often  turn  abruptly  toward  the  nasal  side  of 
the  disk  before  disappearing  and  at  the  temporal  edge  of  the  disk  is  a 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  j  j  ? 

white  crescent,  caused  by  partial  detachment  of  the  retina  and  choroid, 
showing  the  sclerotic;  this  suggests  the  possibility  of  progressive  myopia 
and  should  be  watched. 

In  high  amounts  of  hyperopia  the  disk  is  often  very  small  and  the 
vessels  correspondingly  insignificant;  vision  is  usually  poor  and  chances 
of  improvement  slight. 

If  there  are  several  diopters  of  astigmatism  the  disk  may  appear 
blurred  in  one  meridian  but  clear  in  the  opposite  one,  when  turning  the 
lenses  of  the  instrument  will  reverse  the  appearance. 

Retinitis  begins  at  the  edge  of  the  disk  so  far  as  appearance  goes  and 
is  sometimes  so  intense  as  to  obscure  the  edge  as  shown  in  Fig.  75,  which 
also  shows  the  choking  of  the  vessels  often  associated  with  dysmenor- 
rhoea.  In  ordinary  cases,  such  as  albuminuria,  there  is  inflammation 
without  the  choking.  Vision  is  usually  affected  and  light  is  painful. 
Occasionally  there  is  retinitis  with  a  center  independent  of  the  disk, 
caused  by  pressure  from  an  obstruction  in  the  choroidal  vessels  behind, 
when  there  will  always  be  a  little  blood-clot  marking  the  point  of  pres- 
sure. 


1  ■ 

■ 


Fig.  75 

In  advanced  stages  of  Bright's  disease  there  will  be  found,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  diffuse  inflammation,  first  small  pus-patches  followed  by  a 
dry,  white  appearance  (Fig.  76),  which  in  turn  is  succeeded  by  blacft 
patches  (Fig.  77),  due  to  disintegration  of  retinal  tissue  exposing  the 
pigment;  in  the  last  stage  all  three  exhibits  are  present. 

In  syphilitic  retinal  affections  there  are  black  fantastic  figures,  like 


ii4 


KEUBOLOGY    AND   METAPHYSICS. 


spider  webs,  fern  leaves  or  ink  splashes,  with  no   inflammation  unless 
there  chances  to  be  kidney  trouble,  which  is  rare. 

Wart-like  dilations  on  the  sides  of  vessels  are  tumors  of  the  walls, 


Fig.  76 


Fig.  77 


m*. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


115 


sometimes  found  in  persons  excessively  fat  and  correspondingly  weak: 
they  are  called  aneurysms  and  are  dangerous  because  if  in  the  eyes  they 
are  elsewhere,  and  the  danger  from  hemorrhage  is  great. 

Obstructions  in  vessels  show  congestion  as  in  Fig.  78.  Pressure  is 
liable  to  rupture  the  vessels  when  the  extravasated  blood  would  spread 
out  and  coagulate,  at  least  temporarily  destroying  vision.  In  time,  how- 
ever, reabsorption  may  occur  and  vision  be  restored. 


ff 


Fig.  78 

In  diabetic  conditions  the  retina  presents  no  inflammation,  but  a 
decided  dappled  or  greenish-black  streaked  appearance;  the  patient  will 
complain  of  floating  particles  in  the  visual  field  and  will  confess  to  a 
negative  diet.  Floating  specks  are  also  seen  by  cases  of  general  debility 
from  age  or  chronic  neurasthenia  and  anaemia. 

In  chlorosis,  although  the  cheeks  may  be  rosy,  the  internal  view 
discloses  pale  arteries  and  dark  veins,  with  a  lack  of  quantity  in  both. 
Such  cases  complain  of  general  tired  feelings  and  confess  to  attacks  of 
faintness. 

Dark  arterial  blood  means  the  liver  is  not  working,  and  even  when 
the  arteries  are  pretty  good  color,  if  the  veins  are  unusually  dark,  look 
for  a  coated  tongue. 

Be  sure  to  look  for  the  "yellow  spot  of  Soemmering,"  in  every  case. 
If  you  find  it,  I  am  a  liar.  If  you  don't  find  it,  Soemmering  and  his  tribe 
are.     The  posterior  pole  has  a  field  around  it  upon  which  images  must 


n6 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


be  formed  to  be  seen  clearly,  but  there  is  no  more  color  to  it  than  there 
is  to  any  of  the  other  parts.  It  is  more  free  from  large  vessels,  but  there 
is  no  other  distinguishing  feature.  Some  other  German  professor  should 
come  along  and  tell  us  he  sees  the  pole. 

Do  not  take  anyone's  word  for  anything  except  where  it  is  exclusively 
a  matter  of  veracity — and  go  slow  on  that.  Learn  by  practice  what  con- 
stitutes a  normal  retina,  and  when  there  is  departure,  you  will  know  it 
without  pictures  as  guides. 


Fig.  79 

Retinascopy,  skiascopy,  skiametry,  pupiloscopy,  koroscopy,  and  the 
shadow  test,  are  synonymous.  It  is  an  objective  method.  While  they 
work  well  on  schematic  eyes,  which  are  fixed  dioptric  systems,  it  is  a 
physiological  impossibility  for  them  to, be  used  with  any  degree  of  ac- 
curacy in  fitting  glasses,  because  the  intense  light  thrown  in  the  eyes  sets 
the  accommodation  and  iris  to  work  at  once,  the  pupil  becomes  smaller 
and  the  dioptric  system  is  changed  decidedly,  decreasing  hyperopia,  in- 
creasing myopia  and  making  emmetropia  myopia. 

Fig.  79  will  be  of  service  in  explaining  the  action  of  the  principle. 
The  three  lines  crossing  the  axis  at  A  represent  three  positions  of  the 
mirror.     Fig.  80  is  a  mirror,  it  being  in  this  instance  a  plane  one.     The 

light  being  reflected  from  the  mirror  M1  at  A  Fig.  79 
would  focus  at  B  if  it  could  get  there,  but;  as  the  retina 
is  in  the  way  there  are  circles  of  diffusion  formed  at  V 
and  the  light  comes  back  from  those  circles  over  the 
lines  upon  which  it  entered,  also  along  the  dotted  lines 
O  and  X  and  in  all  the  space  between  them,  so  that  the 
entire  pupil  is  illuminated.  By  tilting  the  mirror  back 
to  M2  the  dotted  line  O  becomes  the  line  V  A,  and  the 
original  line,  with  all  the  rest,  drops  below  the  axis  at 
the  peep-hole  so  the  only  illumination  comes  from  the 
upper  part  of  the  pupil,  the  rest  being  in  eclipse — this 
is  the  shadow  that  follows  the  movement  of  the  mirror 
in  hyperopia,  emmetropia  and  myopia  of  less  amount 
than   the   equivalent    of   the    working    distance.     If   the 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


117 


mirror  be  tilted  to  the  position  M3  the  line  X  will  become  the  line  B  A, 
and  all  the  rest  will  be  above  the  axis  at  the  peep-hole.  The  -j-  lens 
which  will  bring  the  dotted  lines  down  the  black  lines'  course  to  A  is 
the  measure  of  the  defect  plus  the  working  distance.  The  light  may 
be  thrown  across  the  pupil  vertically,  horizontally  or  obliquely,  and  if 
the  shadow  moves  with  the  operator's  movement  of  the  mirror  +  lenses 
will  be  required.  If  too  much  is  put  on  it  will  cause  the  movement  of 
the  shadow  to  be  against  the  mirror  movement  because  the  rays  O  and 
X  will  cross  before  they  reach  the  peep-hole. 


W,1  fef'fttj 


Fig.  81 

Fig.  81  shows  how  the  same  mirror  works  on  highly  myopic  eyes. 
The  rays  reflected  from  the  mirror  M1  at  A  focus  at  B,  and  form  circles 
of  diffusion  at  the  retina.  The  rays  return  along  the  black  lines,  the 
dotted  lines,  and  from  all  the  space  between  the  black  lines  at  the  retina 
to  all  space  between  the  dotted  lines  at  the  mirror.  Tilting  the  mirror  to 
M2  raises  the  illuminated  field  at  the  retina  and  lowers  the  field  at  the  mir- 
ror so  that  the  ray  O  falls  into  the  peep-hole  while  the  rest  drop  below,  but 
as  this  ray  comes  from  the  lower  part  of  the  pupil,  which  is  the  illuminated 
portion,  the  shadow  movement  is  against  the  mirror.  Tilt  the  mirror  to  M  3 
and  all  the  rays  returning  to  the  mirror  will  rise  and  X  will  fall  into  the 
peep-hole,  the  shadow  will  move  up  as  the  light  is  turned  downward  at 
the  eye.  The  > —  lens  which  will  cause  the  dotted  lines  to  diverge  until 
they  only  meet  at  the  peep-hole  will  be  the  correction,  minus  the  working 
distance.  After  finding  the  lens  which  stops  the  shadow,  or  in  other 
words  brings  the  observed  retina  in  conjugate  focus  with  the  observer's, 
if  the  lenses  are  -j-  they  must  be  reduced  the  equivalent  of  the  working 
distance  and  if  —  they  must  be  increased  that  amount.  That  is,  if  the 
working  distance  is  20  inches  the  +  lenses  will  be  2.00  D.  too  strong,  and 
the  —  lenses  will  be  2.00  D.  too  weak.  If  the  -f-  lenses  are  less  than  2.00 
D.  the  eye  is  myopic  the  amount  of  the  difference  between  the  power  of 
the  lens  and  2.00.  Or,  again,  after  getting  the  correction,  -f-  or  — ,  hold 
a  —  sphere  equal  to  the  working  distance,  in  front  of  the  lens  or  com- 
bination, to  give  good  distant  vision. 

If  the' concave  mirror  is  used  the  effects  will  be  reversed,  the  shadow 
will  move  against  the  mirror  movement  in  hyperopia,  emmetropia  and  in 


n8 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


myopia  less  than  the  working  distance.  Fig.  82  will  give  a  pretty  clear 
idea  of  how  the  light  gets  into  and  out  of  the  eye  by  this  method.  It  is 
decidedly  more  complicated  than  with  the  plane  mirror,  but  the  result  is 
the  same  because  it  is  the  light  coming  out  that  the  operator  has  to  deal 
with.  Rays  from  the  light  L,  to  the  mirror  are  reflected  to  the  point  I 
where  an  image  is  formed  which  becomes  the  real  light  so  far  as  the  eye 


Fig.  82 

is  concerned,  the  rays  from  which  would  focus  at  B,  if  they  could  get 
there,  but  they  form  circles  of  diffusion  from  C  to  C  and  the  light  its 
reflected  as  shown  from  lower  C  along  the  dotted  lines  1-2,  and  from 
upper  C  along  the  dotted  lines  3-4.  It  will  be  seen  that  with  the  light! 
I  below  the  axis  the  circles  of  diffusion  between  G-C  will  be  above  tne 
axis  and  all  the  light  that  strikes  the  peep-hole  in  the  mirror  must  come 
from  the  vicinity  of  lower  C  and  follow  dotted  lines  1  and  3  and  all  in  the 
space  between.  Turning  the  mirror  so  that  the  light  I  is  above  the  axis 
will  put  the  circles  C-C  below  and  the  rays  from  C-C  at  their  new  posi- 
tion will  follow  the  dotted  lines  2  and  4  and  all  in  the  space  between  as 
they  are  raised  toward  the  peep-hole.  Of  course  the  shadow  is  on  the 
opposite  side;  and  as  shown  in  the  cut,  the  shadow  comes  up  as  the  mir- 
ror is  turned  down. 


Fig.  83 


If   the    eye    is   highly   myopic    a    new    feature   presents    itself.     The 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


II9 


mirror  forms  an  image  in  front  of  the  eye,  the  dioptric  system  forms  an 
image  of  the  first  one,  which  has  become  the  real  light  to  it,  then  the  rays 
pass  back  to  the  retina  and  form  circles  between  C-C.  (Fig.  83.)  The 
dotted  lines  1-2  and  3-4  show  the  course  of  the  emergent  rays.  In  the 
position  shown  the  mirror  is  throwing  the  light  just  below  the  axis  and 
the  image  in  the  eye  is  just  above  the  axis;  the  light  that  gets  in  the  peep- 
hole follows  the  line  4-4-4,  hence  the  illumination  is  below  and  the  shadow 
moves  with  the  mirror  movement  Turn  the  mirror  up  so  it  forms  the 
image  above  the  axis,  the  one  in  the  eye  will  be  below,  the  circles  will 
drop  down  and  the  illumination  will  follow  the  line  1-1  which  will  then 
be  in  the  same  position  above  the  axis  that  4.  is  below,  as  shown  in  cut, 
thus  the  illumination  will  come  from  the  upper  part  of  the  pupil  and  the 
shadow  follow  from  below,  with  the  mirror  movement. 

I  have  given  space  to  this  story  because  it  has  never  been  told  In 
detail  before.  As  a  means  of  measuring  errors  of  refraction  retinoscopy 
is  worthless  on  account  of  the  physiological  obstacles  mentioned  in  the 
beginning.  When  anyone  says  he  can  fit  eyes  by  the  method  he  is  a 
humbug,  and  the  worst  of  it  is,  he  humbugs  himself. 


Fig.  84 


The  prisoptometer,  Fig.  84,  is  a  subjective  method  of  attempting  to 
measure  errors,  but  it  is  very  unreliable,  for  two  reasons:  First,  the 
operator  is  compelled  to  rely  on  what  the  patient  tells  him,  with  reference 
to  the  targets;  second,  the  test  is  a  monocular  one  and  there  is  a  con- 
stant tendency  to  induce  rather  than  suspend  accommodation 

The  ophthalmometer,  Fig.  85,  is  an  objective  test  and  is  an  imposing 
appearing  instrument  to  those  who  are  in  awe  of  apparatus,  but  it  at- 
tempts a  geometric  impossibility  in  its  principle,  proposing,  with  a  fixed 
spherical  curvature  in  itself,  to  measure  a  variety  of  spherical  and  ellip- 
soidal curvatures  in  others.  Its  makers  only  claim  it  will  register  the 
axis  exactly  and  approximate  the  amount  of  astigmatism.  When  one 
considers  the  fact  that  oblique  astigmatism  is  sometimes  exhibited  by 
spasm  or  exhaustion  of  the  nerve  supply  to  the  oblique  muscles;  that 
approximates  to  the  amounts  of  astigmatism  are  not  what  a  good  doctT 
is  looking  for;  that  all  work  done  by  it  has  to  be  done  over  by  subjective 


120  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

methods;  that  it  is  expensive  and  that  it  is  monocular,  the  conclusion  is 
reached  quickly  that  the  price  of  it  would  be  better  employed  in  some 
other  manner. 

The  stigmatometer  is  both  an  objective  and  subjective  instrument^ 
it  embodies  many  excellent  physical  principles,  and  is  a  compliment  to 
its  young  inventor.  The  only  faults  i  find  with  it  are:  First,  it  is 
monocular;  second,  it  is  expensive;  third,  it  is  not  practical  for  many  pi 


Fig.  X5 

the  same  reasons  other  machines  are  not.  It  may  do  for  opticians  o: 
oculists,  but  neurologists  and  ophthalmologists,  who  are  worthy  of  thi 
name,  have  no  use  for  such  things,  as  they  take  valuable  time  that  can  be 
devoted  to  more  effective  methods  which  only  cost  money  as  education  is 
paid  for. 

Phorometers,  optometers,  refractometers,  and  all  similar  devices  are 
worth  more  to  the  makers  and  sellers  than  to  anyone  else. 

The  perimeter  is  all  right  in  a  school  room  or  for  experimental  pur- 
poses, but  in  the  doctor's  office  it  is  of  less  value  than  a  retinascope. 

A  good  platform  scale  is  worth  more  than  a  cart-load  of  the  instru- 
ments enumerated  after  the  ophthalmoscope,  which  is  really  a  necessity. 


According  to  various  "authorities''  to  sleep  is  a  waste  of  time,  to  eat 
is  foolish,  to  work  is  a  crime,  to  live  is  to  worry  and  to  die  is  hell. 

When  you  learn  that  diseases  of  the  kidneys  have  increased  24  per  cent 
in  ten  years,  maybe  you  will  be  a  little  more  careful  about  what  you  eat 
and  drink,  and  how,  and  when  and  where. 

Please  note  that  the  death  rate,  from  consumption,  in  this  country 
decreased  over  20  per  cent  in  the  last  ten  years.  Then  when  some  "cure" 
makes  the  claim  in  future  that  it  did  it,  just  class  it  with  such  humbugs  as 
vaccination. 


CLINICAL  PORTION'.  I2I 

ABOUT   ALLEGED    DISEASES. 
Old  School  Methods  Compared  With  the  New  Drugless  System. 

There  can  be  no  greater  proof  of  the  humbuggery  of  the  old  school 
medicine  than  is  found  in  an  expose  of  their  methods  as  detailed  by 
authorities.  If  any  dare  challenge  the  accuracy  of  the  following,  all  that 
is  necessary  to  settle  the  matter  is  to  write  me  for  a  list  of  the  aforesaid. 
It  will  be  observed  by  the  intelligent  reader  that  they  do  not  mention 
causes,  but  proceed  to  treat  the  exhibits  on  the  general  "scientific"  prin- 
ciple that  if  the  doctor  does  not  get  results  the  first  attempt  he  has  the 
license  to  proceed  on  down  the  line.  If  patient  survives  the  experiment 
nothing  out  of  the  extraordinary  will  kill  him. 

Abortion :    Tincture  opium  in  starch  water,  by  rectum. 

Acidity  of  the  stomach  (also  called  pyrosis ;  also  heartburn) :  Car- 
bolic acid,  hydrogen  sulphide,  bicarbonate  of  soda,  alkalies,  ammonia, 
atropine,  bismuth,  calcium  carbonate,  charcoal,  lime  water,  potassium, 
magnesium,  mercury,  nux  vomica,  silver  nitrate  and  oxide,  sodium,  tannic 
acid   and   many   others. 

Acne  or  Acne  Rosacea  (Pimples) :  Alkalies,  arsenic,  belladonna, 
berberis,  bismuth,  borax,  boracic  acid,  calcium  sulphide,  carbolic  acid, 
cod-liver  oil,  hydrastis,  mercury,  nitric  acid,  phosphorus,  potassium,  qui- 
nine, sodium  bicarbonate,  strontium,  iodine,  sulphur,  zinc,  salts  and  patent 
medicines. 

Actinomycosis  (An  inflammatory  pus-forming  condition  found  in  the 
jaws  and  elsewhere)  :  Iodine,  potassium  iodide,  sodium  salicylate,  etc., 
by  injection  into  the  affected  spot  or  by  mouth. 

Addison's  Disease  (Tuberculosis  of  the  supra-renal  capsules)  :  Ar- 
senic, cod-liver  oil,  creosote,  glycerine,  iron,  nux  vomica,  opium,  phos- 
phorus, extract  from  other  supra-renal  capsules,  hypophosphites. 

Adenitis  (Inflammation  of  a  gland)  :  Calcium  phos.,  calcium  sulph., 
carbon  disulph.,  cod-liver  oil,  iron,  and  patents. 

Adynamia  (Loss  of  vital  power)  :  Arsenic,  alcohol,  acids,  calcium 
phos.,  caffeine,  camphor,  hydrastine,  iron  preparations,  nux  vomica,  phos- 
phorus, quinine,  oil  turpentine,  valerian. 

Albumenuria  (Nephritis,  Bright's  Disease)  :  Gallic  acid,  aconite,  alco- 
hol, alkaline  diuretics,  mercury  chloride,  acetate  of  ammonuim,  arsenic, 
amyl  nitrate,  belladonna,  caffeine,  calcium,  col-liver  oil,  copaiba,  croton  oil, 
elaterium,  eucalyptus,  fuchsine,  gold  trichloride,  sodium  chloride,  hydras- 
tis, hyoscyamus,  iron,  jaborandi,  juniper  oil,  lead,  lithium  bromide  or  ci- 
trate, nitroglycerine,  nitrous  ether,  oxygen,  pilocarpine,  potassium,  sodium 
arsenate,  strontium,  acetate,  tartrates,  turpentine,  etc. 

Amaurosis  or  Amblyopia  (Impaired  vision) :  Amyl  nitrite,  anti- 
pyrine,  arnica,  calomel,  digitalis,  electricity,  emmenagogues  if  menstrual 


X22  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

difficulties  are  present,  mercury,  operation  on  muscles,  nux  vomica,  pilo- 
carpine, potassium,  strychnine,  veratrine,  and  many  patents. 

Amenorrhoea  (Absence  of  menses)  :  Acids,  aconite,  alcohol,  aloes, 
ammonia,  arsenic,  asafoetida,  cantharides,  cimicifuga,  cclocynth,  cotton 
root  bark,  croton  oil,  electricity,  ergot,  eupatorium,  iron,  phosphorus, 
manganese,  myrrh,  nux  vomica,  pennyroyal,  potassium,  quinine,  sodium, 
savin,  rue,  silver  nitrate,  tansy,  sitz  baths,  curettements,  etc. 

Anaemia  (Deficiency  of  blood)  :  Acids,  alkalies,  aloes,  arsenic,  bitters, 
calcium,  calomel,  copper  arsenite,  ferropyrine,  hypophosphites,  iron,  man- 
ganese, mercury  bichloride,  nux  vomica,  oxygen,  pancreatin,  phosphorus, 
quinine,  sodium,  strychnine,  wines  and  liquors. 

Angina  Pectoris  (Strangle  heart)  :  Aconite,  amyl  nitrite,  antipyrine, 
arsenic,  atropine,  cactus  grandiflora,  chamomile,  chloral,  chloroform,  co- 
caine, convallaria,  digitalis,  ether,  morphine,  sodium  nitrites,  potassium, 
oxygen,  phosphorus,  bromides,  quinine,  strophanthus,  strychnine,  tur- 
pentine. 

Anorexia  (Lack  of  appetite)  :  Hydrochloric  acid,  berberis,  calomel, 
capsicum,  china  phila.,  cinchona,  gentian,  nux  vomica,  quassia,  strychnine. 

Aphthae  (Sore  mouth)  :  Boric  acid,  carbolic  acid,  hydrochloric  acid, 
nitric  acid,  salicylic  acid,  sulphurous  acid,  tannic  acid,  alum,  bismuth, 
chlorine,  copper  sulphate,  creosote,  formaldehyde,  glycerine,  mercury, 
potassium  chlorate  or  iodide,  quinine,  rhubarb,  nitrate  of  silver,  sodium. 

Asthma  or  Emphysema  (Periodical  attacks  of  difficult  breathing) : 
Acids,  aconite,  adrenalin,  alcohol,  alkalies,  alum,  ammonia  vapor,  amyl 
nitrite,  antimony,  apomorphine,  arsenic,  asafoetida,  belladonna,  bromides, 
caffeine,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  chloral  hydrate,  chloroform,  cocaine, 
coffee,  colchicum,  creosote,  duboisine,  ether,  electricity,  gelsemium,  grin- 
delia,  hyocine,  iodine,  ipecac,  lobelia,  menthol,  mercury,  morphine,  nux 
vomica,  eucalyptus  oil,  amber  oil,  opium,  oxygen,  pepsin,  physostigma, 
pilocarpine,  potassium  bromide,  iodide  or  cyanide  or  nitrite  or  nitrate, 
quinine,  resorcin,  sodium  in  all  its  forms,  stramonium,  strychnia,  sulphur 
and  tobacco. 

Backache  (Lumbago)  :  Actanilid,  carbolic  acid,  salicylic  acid,  aconite, 
antipyrine,  atropine,  camphor,  capsicum,  chloroform,  cimcifuga,  cod-liver 
oil,  electricity,  massage,  mustard  plaster,  oil  wintergreen,  opium,  phena- 
cetin,  pitch  plaster,  potassium,  quinine,  rhus  tox,  sodium,  turpentine,  ver- 
atrum. 

Bed-wetting  (Enuresis)  :  Camphoric  acid,  ammonium  acetate  or  cit- 
rate, antipyrine,  atropine,  buchu,  cantharides,  chloral  hydrate,  collodion, 
ergot,  iron  iodine,  juniper,  potassium  all  forms,  quinine,  rhus  aromatica, 
rhus  toxicodendron,  sodium  arsenat,  spirits  nitrous  ether,  strychnine,  oil 
of  turpentine. 

Biliousness  (Liver  disorder)  :  Acids,  aconite,  alkalies,  aloes,  ammon- 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


123 


ium  chloride  or  iodide,  bromides,  chloral  hydrates,  calomel,  colocynth, 
hydrastis,  ipecac,  leptandra,  manganese,  iodide  of  mercury,  yellow  oxide 
of  mercury,  mustard  plasters,  opium,  podophyllum,  rhubarb,  sodium  phos- 
phates or  sulphates,  stillingia,  strychnine. 

Bladder  troubles:  Benzoic  acid,  belladonna,  buchu,  cannabis  indica, 
cantharides,  capaiba,  ergot,  eucalyptol,  gelsemium,  hyoscyamus,  stigmata 
mays,  potassium  acetate,  strychnine,  electricity,  nicotine,  or  patents. 

Calculi,  biliary,  renal  and  vessical  (Stones  in  gall-bladder,  kidneys, 
etc.)  :  Nitric  acid,  hydrochloric  acid,  anesthetics,  belladonna,  chloral,  chlo- 
reform,  iron,  chlorine,  mercury,  morphine,  oils,  radium  in  all  forms,  ether, 
turpentine,  alkalies,  ammonium  calumba,  cotton  root,  ergot,  lithium  salts, 
magnesium,  potassium,  patents. 

Caries  or  Necrosis  (Decay  of  bones)  :  Carbolic  and  phosphoric  acids, 
calcium  carbonate  or  chloride,  cod-liver  oil,  gold,  iodides,  iodine,  phos- 
phorus, potassium,  sarsaparilla,  sulphuric  acid,  patents. 

Catarrh  (Inflammation  with  pus  discharge) :  Acids,  aconite,  bella- 
donna, ammonia,  arsenic,  bismuth,  camphor,  chloral,  chloroform,  cocaine, 
codeine,  cubeb,  eucalyptol,  formaldehyde,  ipecac,  iodoform,  jaborandi,  men- 
thol, nux  vomica,  oils,  opium,  pilocarpine,  potassium,  Pulsatilla,  quinine, 
resorcin,  sanguinaria,  silver  nitrate,  sodium,  sugar,  tartar  emetic,  verat- 
rum  viride,  sulphate  of  zinc,  patents. 

Cerebral  anaemia  (Deficient  blood  in  head)  :  Ammonia,  amyl  nitrite, 
arsenic,  caffeine,  camphor,  chloral,  digitalis,  electricity,  euquinine,  glonin, 
glycerine,  gold,  iron,  nux  vomica,  phosphorus,  quinine,  zinc  phosphate. 

Cerebral  congestion  (Excess  of  blood  in  head)  :  Hydrocyanic  acid, 
aconite,  arsenic,  belladona,  bromides,  cathartics,  chloral,  colchicum,  colo- 
cynth, croton  oil,  digitalis,  elateria,  ergot,  gelsemium,  bromides,  potas- 
sium, veratrum,  patents  and  venesection.. 

Chlorosis  (Anaemia  from  menstrual  suppression) :  Acids,  arsenic, 
iron,  berberis,  calcium,  cocculus  indicus,  ergot,  manganese,  nux  vomica, 
pancreatin,  potassium,  sodium,  zinc,  and  all  the  other  alleged  remedies 
for  anaemia  from  any  cause. 

Chorea  (St.  Vitus'  Dance)  :  Acetanilid,  ammonia,  amyl  nitrite,  an- 
timony, antipyrine,  apomorphine,  arsenic,  belladona,  bismuth,  bromides* 
calcium,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  chloral,  chloroform,  cimicifuga,  co- 
caine hydrochlorate,  cocculus,  cod-liver  oil,  conium,  copper,  duboisine, 
ether,  hyoscyamus,  iodides,  iron,  lobelia,  morphine,  musk  physostigma, 
picrotoxin,  potassium,  quinine,  silver,  sodium,  strmonium,  strychnine, 
valerian,  veratrum,  zinc  in  all  forms. 

Conjunctivitis  (Inflammation  of  the  eyes)  :  Acids,  adrenalin,  alum, 
atropine,  bismuth,  blisters  back  of  ears,  cadmium,  calomel,  castor  oil,  co- 
caine, copper,  eserine,  formaldehyde,  hydrastis,  hamamelis,  iron,  mer- 
cury, opium,  silver  nitrate,  sodium,  tannin,  zinc. 


124 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Constipation  (Deficient  action  of  bowels)  :  Aloes,  ammonium  chlor- 
ide, arsenic,  belladonna,  calomel,  cascara  sagrada,  castor  oil,  chloral  hy- 
drate, cocculus,  cod-liver  oil,  colocynth,  croton  oil,  "dinner  pills"  com- 
posed of  aloes  and  iron  or  with  nux  vomica,  belladonna  or  hyoscyamus, 
ergot,  eserine,  frangula,  gamboge,  glycerine,  guaic,  hydrastis,  ipecac,  jo- 
lap,  leptandrin,  lime,  licorice  compound,  magnesia,  muscarine,  manna,  nux 
vomica,  opium,  ox-gall,  physostigma,  podophyllin,  potassium,  prunes,  rhu- 
barb, sodium,  senna,  soap,  stillingia,  strychnine,  tobacco,  turpentine  oil, 
patents. 

Debility  (General  weakness)  :  Acids,  alcohol,  arsenic,  berberis,  bit- 
ters, calcium  salts,  cinchona,  cod-liver  oil,  digitalis,  eucalyptus,  euquin- 
ine,  malt  extract,  hydrastis,  hypophosphites,  manganese,  morphine,  nux 
vomica,  potassium,  quinine,  sanguinaria,  sarsaparilla,  patents. 

Diabetes  insipidus  and  mellitus  (Kidney  trouble)  :  Acids,  acetanilid, 
alum,  ammonium  valerianate,  antipyrine,  arsenic,  atropine,  codeine,  cre- 
osote, ergot,  chloride  of  gold,  iron,  jaborandi,  muscarine,  opium,  pilocar- 
pine, potassium,  supra-renal  capsule,  strychnia,  valerian,  zinc,  alkalies, 
calcium,  hydrogen  dioxide,  iodoform,  quinine,  rhubarb,  sodium. 

Dysmenorrhea  (Difficult  or  painful  menstruation)  :  Acids,  acetani- 
lid,  aconite,  aloes,  ammonium,  amyl  nitrite,  antipyrine,  arsenic,  atropine, 
berberis,  borax,  cajuput  oil,  camphor,  cannabis  indicia,  chloral,  chloro- 
form, cimicifuga,  codeine,  copper,  ergot,  ether,  gelsemium,  ginger,  guaiac, 
hamamelis,  hydrastis,  ipecac  ,iron,  manganese,  mercury,  morphine,  nux 
vomica,  opium,  picrotoxin,  quinine,  strychnine,  viburnum. 

Dyspepsia  (Indigestion)  :  Acids,  alkalies,  aloes,  ammonium,  arsenic, 
belladonna,  berberis,  bismuth,  bitters,  bryonia,  calabar  bean,  calcium, 
calomel,  calumba,  cannabis  indica,  capsicum,  cardomoms,  cascara  sagrada, 
castor  oil,  charcoal,  chloral,  chloroform,  cinchona,  cocaine,  cod-liver  oil, 
colchicum,  creosote,  eucalyptus,  euquinine,  gentian,  ginger,  gold,  hops, 
hot  and  cold  water,  hydrastis,  hydrogen  peroxide,  ipecac,  iron,  lime, 
magnesia,  malt,  morphine,  nux  vomica,  opium,  orexine,  pancreatin,  pep- 
per, pepsin,  picrotoxin,  podophyllin,  potassium,  ptyalin,  quassia,  rhubarb, 
sanguinaria,  serpentaris,  silver,  sodium,  stramonium  bromide,  strych- 
nine, terebene,  wahoo,  xanthroxylum. 

Eczema  (A  skin  disease) :  Acetanilid,  carbolic  acid,  ammonium, 
arsenic,  belladonna,  benzoin,  bismuth,  blisters,  borax,  calcium,  camphor, 
cantharides,  chloral,  cinchona,  cocaine,  cod-liver  oil,  collodion,  conium, 
copper,  eucalyptus,  hamamelis,  iris,  iron,  jaborandi,  lead,  lime,  mercury, 
menthol,  nutgall,  croton  oil,  phosphorus,  Phytolacca,  potassium,  rhus  tox, 
silver  nitrate,  soap,  sodium,  arsenate,  sulphur,  tannin,  tar,  yolk  of  egg, 
zinc. 

Epilepsy  (Falling  sickness) :  Acids,  adonis  vernalis,  ammonium, 
amyl,   nitrite,    antipyrine,    apomorphine,    arsenic,    asafoetida,    belladonna, 


CLINICAL  1'ORTION. 


125 


bismuth,  bromides,  calcium,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  chloral,  chloro- 
form, cod-liver  oil,  conium,  copper,  digitalis,  duboisine,  gold,  hydrastis, 
hyoscyamus,  ignatia,  iron,  lobelia,  mercury,  opium,  phosphorus,  physos- 
tigma,  picrotoxin,  potassium,  quassia,  quinine,  rue,  silver  nitrate,  sodium, 
stramonium,  strychnia,  supra-renal  capsule,  turpentine  oil,  valerian,  zinc. 
Flatulence  (Intestinal  bloating) :  Acids,  alkalies,  ammonia,  asafoe- 
tida,  belladonna,  bismuth,  calcium,  calumbo,  camphor,  capsicum,  char- 
coal, chlorofrom,  creosote,  ether,  eucalyptus,  ipecac,  oils,  manganese, 
mercury,  muscarine,  nux  vomica,  pepper,  physostima,  picrotoxin,  podo- 
phyllin,  potassium,  resorcin,  rue,  sodium,  terebene,  oil  of  turpentine,  va- 
lerian. 

Gastralgia  (Pain  in  stomach)  :  Same  as  dyspepsia. 
Gastritis  (Inflammation  of  stomach)  :  Same  as  dyspepsia. 
Headache:  Acetanilid,  acetic  acid,  hydrobromic  acid,  nitro-hydro- 
chloric  acid,  phosphoric  acid,  salicylic  acid,  aconite,  aloin,  ammonia,  an- 
tipyrine,  arsenic,  atropine,  berberis,  bismuth,  bromides,  bryonia,  caffeine, 
cajuput  oil,  calomel,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  capsicum,  chloroform, 
cimicifuga,  coffee,  colchicum,  croton  oil,  digitalis,  ergot,  ether,  eucalyp- 
tus, gelsemium,  heat,  hydrastis,  hyoscyamus,  ice-bag,  ignatia,  magnesia, 
morphine,  mustard,  amyl  nitrite,  nitroglycerine,  strychnia,  phenacetine, 
picrotoxin,  podophyllin,  potassium,  quinine,  sanguinaria,  sodium  bicar- 
bonate, bromide,  phosphate  or  salicylate,  strontium,  tea,  valerian. 

Heart  disease:  Amyl  nitrite,  cocaine,  digitalis,  ergot,  morphine,  ni- 
troglycerine, sodium,  arsenic,  cod-liver  oil,  cimicifuga,  strophanthus, 
strychnine,  aconite,  bromides,  electricity,  potassium,  veratrum,  hydro- 
cyanic acid,  belladonna,  camphor,  lead,  nux  vomica,  senega,  ether,  va- 
lerian, barium,  iron,  jalpa,  veratrum. 

Hysteria  (Nervous  excitement)  :  Acetanilid,  acids,  aconite,  alcohol, 
aloes,  ammonia,  amyl  nitrite,  antipyrine,  apomorphine,  arsenic,  asafoe- 
tida,  atropine,  bromides,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  chloral,  chloroform, 
cimicifuga,  cocaine,  codeine,  cod-liver  oil,  ergot,  ether,  eucalyptus,  gold 
chloride,  hyoscyamus,  ignatia,  iron,  morphine,  musk,  nux  vomica,  oil  am- 
ber, oil  wormseed,  opium,  paraldehyde,  phosphates,  Pulsatilla,  tartar  em- 
etic, valerian,  water,  zinc. 

Insomnia  (Sleeplessness) :  Same  as  hysteria. 
Intermittent  fever:  Same  as  hysteria,  practically. 
Leucorrhoea  (White  discharge  from  vagina  due  to  weakness)  :  Bor- 
ic acid,  carbolic  acid,  chromic  acid,  nitric  acid,  phosphoric  acid,  alkalies, 
aloes,  alum,  ammonium,  arsenic,  belladonna,  bismuth,  borax,  catechu,  co- 
paiba, copper,  creosote,  cubebs,  ergot,  glycerine,  hamamelis,  hematoxy- 
lon,  hydrastis,  iodine,  iodoform,  iron,  lead  salts,  oil  turpentine,  potassium, 
tannin,  zinc. 

Liver  troubles:     Acids,   aconite,   ammonium,   calomel,   glycerine,  io- 


I26  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

dides,  iron,  mercury,  nux  vomica,  ox-gall,  phosphorus,  potassium,  quin- 
ine, rhubarb,  sodium  phos.,  sulphur,  teraxicum,  oil  turpentine,  alkalies, 
colchicum,  tartar  emetic. 

Metritis  (Inflammation  of  womb)  :  Carbolic  acid,  nitric  acid,  acon- 
ite, aloes,  creosote,  ergot,  euquinine,  gelsemium,  gold  and  radium,  chlor- 
ide, iodine,  iodoform,  mercury  bichloride,  opium,  potassium,  silver  ni- 
trates, oil  of  turpentine,  hydrastis,  etc. 

Nephritis  (Inflammation  of  kidneys)  :  Gallic  acid,  aconite,  alcohol, 
alkalies,  ammonia,  amyl  nitrite,  arsenic,  belladonna,  broom,  caffeine,  cal- 
cium, calomel,  cannabis  indica,  cantharides,  chloral,  cod-liver  oil,  copaiba, 
croton  oil,  digitalis,  elaterium,  ergot,  eucalyptus,  fuchsine,  gadnol,  gly- 
cerine, gold  trichloride,  hydrastis,  hyoscyamus,  iron,  jaborandi,  juniper 
oil,  lead,  lithium  bromide,  nitroglycerine,  ether,  oxygen,  pilocarpine,  po- 
tassium salts,  sodium  arsenat,  tartrates,  turpentine,  water  and  patents 
galore. 

Neuralgia  (Nerve  pain)  :  Acetanilid,  aconite,  acids,  alcohol,  ammo- 
nia, amyl  nitrite,  antipyrine,  arsenic,  atropine,  berberis,  bismuth,  brom- 
ides, cactus,  caffeine,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  cantharides,  capsicum, 
chloral,  chlorofrom,  cimicifuga,  cocaine,  cod-liver  oil,  colchicum,  conium, 
creosote,  digitalis,  dogwood,  ergot,  ether,  eserine,  eucalyptus,  euquinine, 
gelsium,  hyoscyamus,  ignatia,  iodides,  mercury,  morphine,  nitroglycer- 
ine, nux  vomica,  croton  oil,  mustard  oil,  clove  oil,  peppermint  oil,  opium, 
phenacetin,  phosphorus,  potassium,  pullsatilla,  quinine,  sodium,  stramon- 
ium, turpentine,  valerine,  veratrum,  zinc,  patents. 

Neurasthenia  (Nervous  debility) :  Arsenic,  bromides,  codeine,  co- 
caine, euquinine,  hypophosphites,  iron,  strychnia,  phosphorus,  potassium, 
zinc,  aconite,  ammonia,  caffeine,  camphor,  chloral,  chloroform,  electrici- 
ty, ergot,  ether,  ignatia,  morphine,  opium,  pullsatilla,  sodium  bromide, 
supra-renal  capsule,  sweet   spirits  nitre,  valerian. 

Rheumatism:  Acetanilid,  acids,  alkalies,  alcohol,  amber  oil,  ammonia 
in  many  forms,  arnica,  arsenic,  atropine,  blisters,  bryonia,  cactus,  caf- 
feine, cajuput  oil,  camphor,  cannabis  indica,  capsicum,  chaulmoogra  oil, 
chloral  hydrate,  chloroform,  cimicifuga,  cocaine,  cod-liver  oil,  colchicum, 
conium,  creosote,  digitalis,  Dover's  powders,  dulcamara,  eserine,  euca- 
lyptus, euquinine,  Fowler's  solution,  gadnol,  gelsemium,  gold  and  radium, 
chloride,  guaiac,,  ice,  iodides,  iodoform,  iron,  jaborandi,  lithium  in  several 
forms,  magnesia,  menthol,  mercury,  morphine,  mustard  plasters,  croton 
oil,  turpentine  oil,  opium,  phenactine,  phytolacca,  pilocarpine,  potassium 
in  a  dozen  forms,  poultices,  quinine,  rhus  tox,  sodium,  stramonium,  sul- 
phur, veratrum,  valerian. 

Tic  douloureux   (See  neuralgia). 

Torticollis^  (Wry  neck)  :  Acetanilid,  aconite,  arsenic,  atropine,  capsi- 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


\2f 


cum  cimicifuga,  opium,  gelsemium,  menthol,  nux  vomica,  opium,  potas- 
sium, strychnine. 

Following  is  our  method  of  procedure  without  drugs  or  surgery 
as  commonly  understood.  The  dollars  appended  indicate  a  fair  price  for 
our  services.  It  is  always  to  be  understood  that  strict  obedience  to  in- 
structions is  part  of  the  fee.  We  recognize  old  names  for  convenience, 
but  deny  they  are  diseases. 

Abortion.  In  prescribing  glasses  for  highly  nervous  women  during 
pregnancy,  do  not  fog,  lest  the  sudden  relaxation  which  sometimes  fol- 
lows cause  miscarriage. 

Abcesses.  Due  to  wrong  diet  and  nerve  strain.  General  treatment 
by  dietary,  etc.,  as  described  in  another  chapter.     $50. 

Acidity  of  stomach.  Due  to  foolish  eating  and  nerve  strain.  One- 
half  to  a  teaspoonful  of  dry  salt  with  water  enough  to  wash  it  down,  for 
immediate  relief.  Then  follow  with  general  treatment.  For  the  bloat- 
ing of  abdomen  sometimes  present,  manipulate  the  intestines.    $100. 

Albumenuria.  Due  to  ignorant  eating  and  drinking.  Strict  diet  and 
general  overhauling  of  machinery;  rest.     $100. 

Alcoholism.  First  our  general  treatment.  If  it  fails,  an  asylum.  It 
is  a  species  of  insanity  that  is  highly  dangerous. 

Amenorrhoea.  Absence  of  menses  due  to  nervous  derangements. 
General  treatment  to  develop  perfect  nutrition.  Manipulate  limbs.  Let  the 
procreative  organs  alone.    $100. 

Anaemia.  Lack  of  blood  due  to  malnutrition  and  nerve  strain.  Gen- 
eral treatment  with  special  attention  to  fresh  air  and  breathing.    $100. 

Angina  Pectoris.  (Strangle  Heart.)  Due  to  nerve  strain  from  phy- 
siological causes.     Regulate  the  nerve  supply  and  distribution;  rest.    $50. 

Apthae.  (Sore  Mouth.)  Due  to  nervous  derangements  affecting 
the  liver.  General  treatment;  salt,  dry  in  the  mouth  as  local  help  to 
remove  the  soreness  as  the  cause  of  inconvenience.    $50. 

Apoplexy.  (Cerebral  Hemorrhages.)  General  treatment,  very 
strictly.      $100. 

Asthma.  (Affection  of  bronchi  from  nerve  strain.)  General  treat- 
ment.    $100. 

Appendicitis.  (Stricture  of  bowels  from  neglect  of  nature's  calls,  and 
nerve  strain.)  Manual  treatment  with  rectal  injections  of  hot  salt  water 
to  evacuate  the  colon;  a  tablespoonful  of  spirits  turpentine  to  half  gallon 
of  water,  if  there  is  bloating.   $100. 

Atrophy.  (Wasting.)  Applies  mostly  to  nerves,  but  may  describe 
dead  tissue.  May  be  arrested  by  general  treatment,  but  damage  done  can- 
not be'  undone.    $50. 

Biliousness.     (Liver  disorder  due  to  overworking  it  with  —  foods.) 


!28  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

General  treatment.     Restrict  to  rest  and  fruit  diet  until  the  liver  shows 
signs  of  being  ready  for  work,  then  proceed  to  feed  lightly    $50. 

Bladder  Troubles.  These  are  always  due  to  spasm  or  exhaustion 
of  the  nerve  supply  or  to  hypertrophy  or  atrophy  of  structure.  Stick 
to  general  treatment  and  have  patients  avoid  liquors  and  sexual  excite- 
ment.   Rest  is  imperative.     $100. 

Bright's  Disease.  (See  Albumenuria.)  An  acute  form  of  albumenuria. 
If  there  are  pus  patches,  white  or  black  spots  at  the  retina  it  is  beyond 
the  limit  angle.     Let  the  old  school  doctors  have  it.     $250. 

Bronchitis.  (Related  to  asthma;  usually  due  to  colds,  however.) 
Strict  confinement,  hot  baths  and  sweating  with  a  very  light  but  powerful 
fruit  diet.    Lemon  juice  in  all  water  used  for  drinking.     $100. 

Calculi.  (Stones  in  liver,  kidneys,  etc.)  Strict  +  diet  and  not  much 
of  it  until  the  stones  disappear.  Absolute  rest  to  avoid  irritation.  $100  to 
$500. 

Catarrh  (A  meaningless  word,  used  villainously.)  All  so-called  ca- 
tarrh, except  of  the  nose,  throat  and  ear,  are  humbug,  as  anyone  may  prove 
readily  by  following  our  general  treatment.  The  nose,  throat  and  ears 
being  open,  are  exposed  to  foreign  bodies,  dust,  etc. ;  they  should  be  kept 
clean;  the  nose  and  throat  particularly  should  be  douched  by  snuffing 
and  gargling  strong  salt  water  daily  until  all  symptoms  have  disappeared, 
then  the  mouth  should  be  so  cleansed  every  morning  and  the  nose  at 
least  twice  a  week,  as  the  same  causes  will  produce  the  same  effects  again. 
For  the  ears,  let  several  drops  of  the  salt  solution  run  into  the  ears  twice 
a  day  until  suppuration  and  "ringing"  ceases.  Do  not  fear  injury.  The 
old  doctor  who  tells  you  it  will  do  damage  is  either  a  fool  or  a  knave.  $200. 

Chancre,  and  all  other  vile  diseases,  due  to  immorality  or  accident, 
send  to  our  friends  the  old  drug  doctors.  They  are  a  great  convenience 
and  need  the  money. 

Chlorosis.  (Debility  of  girls  from  general  nerve  strain.)  General 
treatment,  lots  of  fresh  air,  stop  all  school  work  and  close  application. 
Watch  lungs  and  mentality.  Keep  careful  note  of  conditions  of  blood  by 
ophthalmoscopic  observation.     $250. 

Cholera  Morbus.  (Poisoning  due  to  overeating  unripe  fruit  or  vegeta- 
bles.) Treat  same  as  appendicitis.  Give  salt  by  mouth  to  relieve  pains  in 
stomacji.     $25. 

Chorea.  (An  exhibit  of  nervous  irritation  from  constant  excess  de- 
mands. Known  as  St.  Vitus'  Dance.)  Pay  strict  attention  to  diet  and 
correction  of  the  eyes.    Stop,  close  work  and  violent  exercise.     $200. 

Colic.     See  cholera  morbus. 

Conjunctivitis.     See  chapter  on  eye  diseases  (?) 

Constipation.  (Suspended  action  of  the  bowels,  usually  due  to  errors 
of  refraction  in  the  eyes  and  other  excessive  demands  on  the  nerve  supply 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


129 


that  interfere  with  the  rhythmic  motion  of  perisitalsis,  cause  strictures  in 
the  sphincter  muscles  and  interrupt  the  action  of  the  digestive  and  assimi- 
lative machinery  generally.)  Begin  at  the  eyes  and  work  down,  stopping 
all  leaks  or  strains,  regulate  the  diet,  manipulate  the  abdomen,  (often 
once  is  all  that  is  necessary)  and  see  that  patient  follows  orders.  $200  to 
$500. 

Consumption.    See  tuberculosis. 

Convulsions.  These  are  emergency  cases.  They  are,  of  course,  due 
to  shock  or  strain  on  the  nervous  system,  but  treatment  depends  on  the 
cause.  Usually  it  is  best  to  give  hot  baths.  After  the  spasm  subsides  a 
general  examination  will  disclose  the  causes  which,  when  known,  are 
usually  easily  removed.   $100  to  $500. 

Coryza.     (Cold  in  head.)     Pull  neck. 

Debility  or  Neurasthenia.  A  general  breaking  down  of  the  system.  If 
it  comes  to  the  very  young  it  is  due  to  congenital  causes  or  malnutrition ; 
when  found  in  the  youth  or  middle  aged  it  is  usually  due  to  physiological 
or  mental  strain  or  both;  in  old  people  it  is  a  natural  wearing  out  of  the 
machinery.  The  first  class  requires  tender  care  because  children  do  not 
know  how  to  look  after  themselves ;  the  second  need  watching  or  those  who 
are  in  active  life  will  violate  orders  as  if  they  expected  they  could  purchase 
health  with  money;  the  older  ones  usually  follow  instructions  but  results 
are  more  unsatisfactory  than  in  the  others  who  obey  the  doctor.  $200  to 
$1,000. 

Diabetes:  A  disorder  of  the  blood  caused  by  overworking  the  liver 
with  —  foods.  In  the  first  stage  it  exhibits  by  excessive  secretion  of  urine, 
and  in  the  more  advanced  stage,  by  a  thickening  of  the  fluid  from  the  excess 
sugar  which  clogs  the  kidneys,  causes  uraemic  poisoning  and  death. 
Strictly  +  foods  until  all  symptoms  disappear. 

Diarrhoea.  Absolute  rest,  salt  water  rectal  injections,  manual  treat- 
ment of  1 2th  dorsal  vertebra  and  such  food  as  blackberries  in  small  quanti- 
ties. Lemon  juice  in  all  drinking  water.  Seat  patient  on  chair,  put  knee 
against  lower  dorsal  vertebrae,  pull  back  gently  but  firmly  on  shoulders  for 
two  minutes,  then  put  to  bed.     $10  to  $25. 

Dysentery.    See  Diarrhoea. 

Dysmenorrhoea.  General  treatment  between  menstrual  periods.  For 
the  convulsions  sometimes  attending  the  menses,  manual  treatment,  one 
hand  on  the  sacral  nerves  and  the  other  titilating  the  clitoris.  This  directs 
the  entire  nerve  current  locally  to  the  uterus,  starts  the  natural  rhythmic 
action  and  utilizes  the  sexual  instinct  to  good  purpose.  Our  general  meth- 
ods afford  permanent  relief  so  quickly  that  it  is  rarely  the  pains  return  after 
the  first  month  or  two.    $150  to  $500. 

Dyspepsia.    (See  Constipation. 

Earache.     For  emergencies,  a  pledget  of  cotton  in  a  goosequill  with  a 


130 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


drop  of  chloroform;  breathe  gently  in  one  end  of  the  quill  while  the  other 
is  in  the  ear.  This  is  merely  a  local  anesthetic  and  is  not  treatment.  While 
it  is  effective,  instill  warm  water  and  wash  ears,  then  a  few  drops  of  salt 
water  and  confinement  for  the  day  in  even  temperature.    $25. 

Eczema.  General  treatment  to  get  the  machinery  in  working  order, 
of  course,  but  for  the  annoyance  of  the  eruption  apply  coarse  cloths  kept 
soaked  with  cold  salt  water,  two  drachms  to  the  pint.  Keep  on  all  day, 
wetting  occasionally.  It  will  hurt  like  blazes,  but  the  good  nights  of  rest 
which  follow  will  be  a  reward  and  the  permanent  relief  from  the  entire 
course  of  treatment  makes  grateful  patients.    $50  to  $250. 

Emissions.     See  Incontinence. 

Emphysema.     See  Asthma. 

Enuresis.  (Bed-wetting.)     See  Epilepsy  or  Chorea. 

Epilepsy.  See  Chorea,  as  both  belong  to  the  same  class,  practically. 
$200  to  $500. 

Epistaxis.  (Nosebleed.)  A  good  thing  for  stout  people,  as  it  has  often 
prevented  apoplexy.  Reduce  flesh  by  dieting  and  keep  quiet  until  the  walls 
of  vessels  get  strong  from  the  +  food.  $25  to  $100. 

Erysipelas.  Butter-milk  used  as  salt  water  is  for  eczema.  General 
treatment  for  the  causes.     $100  to  $500. 

Fetid  Breath,  body  or  feet.  Use  salt  water  as  for  catarrh,  bathe  freely, 
especially  the  feet,  and  to  keep  the  latter  from  getting  too  tender  rinse  them 
in  salt  water.  General  treatment.  As  long  as  feet  are  confined  in  shoes 
they  will  be  fetid. 

Fevers.  Stop  eating,  drink  lemon  juice,  diluted,  to  quench  thirst,  sweat 
_rtd  remain  in  bed.If  bowels  are  bad,  use  salt  water  injections  for  antiseptic 
purposes. 

Floating  kidney.     See  Prolapsus. 

Flatulence.    See  Constipation.     $25  to  $200. 

Gall-stones.     See   Calculi. 

Gastralgia.  (Neuralgia  of  the  Stomach.)  A  half  teaspoonful  of  salf, 
repeated  in  fifteen  minutes  if  pain  does  not  cease.  Stop  eating  and  treat 
for  acidity. 

Gonorrhoea.  (A  venereal  product  exhibited  in  inflammation  of  the 
uretha  and  exudation  of  pus.)  Stop  liquors,  all  sexual  excitement,  diet, 
keep  quiet,  and  let  it  alone.  It  is  not  proof  of  association  with  sporting 
women,  but  is  acquired  so  frequently  in  such  manner  that  it  behooves  hus- 
bands and  wives  to  be  temperate  in  their  sexual  relations  if  they  would 
avoid  possible  doubt  of  each  other's  fidelity.     $100  to  $500. 

Gout.  A  form  of  neuralgia  resulting  from  excessive  indulgence  in  club 
life,  wines,  etc.      $100  to  $500. 

Headache.     See  Constipation.     Pull  neck. 

Heart  Disease.    (There  is  no  such  thing.    It  is  general  nerve  derange- 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


131 


ment.)  See  debility.  The  old  school  doctors  make  a  great  ado  over 
"tobacco  heart"  and  'mitral  valve  disease."  We  laugh  at  such  "diseases," 
but  go  after  the  real  situation,  which  is  serious  sometimes. 

Hemorrhoids.  (Piles.)  General  treatment  and  rest.  Get  bowels 
clean  and  active,  when  piles  disappear.     $100  to  $250. 

Hiccough.  Pull  the  neck;  startle;  feed  pounded  ice  or  ice  cream,  then 
adjust  the  nervous  system  by  general  treatment. $50  to  $100. 

Hydrocephalus.  (Water  on  the  brain.)  Send  to  old  school  doctors  or 
asylums. 

Hypochondria.  (Mental  collapse  from  nerve  shock  or  strain.)  The 
worst  condition  we  have  to  meet.  Strict  general  treatment,  isolate  from  too 
much  sympathy,  or  an  entire  lack  of  it.  Get  the  mentality  aroused.  $200 
to  $1,000. 

Hysteria.  (Mental  and  physiological  spasm  from  nerve  shock  or 
strain.)  A  comparatively  easy  class  of  cases  if  patient  can  be  controlled, 
and  for  the  latter  purpose  should  be  treated  much  as  hypochondria.  The 
advantage  in  this  instance  is  it  is  more  hopeful.     $200  to  $1,000. 

Impotence.  (Loss  of  sexual  ability.)  General  treatment;  particularly 
restricting  liquor,  tobacco,  etc.     Absolute  rest.     $250  to  $1,000. 

Incontinence.  This  is  the  result  of  general  weakness  from  long  con- 
tinued nerve  strain,  from  injury  or  from  excessive  venery.  It  may  affect 
only  the  bladder,  but  often  involves  the  prostatic  gland  and  nightly  emis- 
sions.    See  debility. 

Insomnia.  Sleeplessness  from  nervous  irritation.  General  treatment, 
light  diet,  rest  and  open  air  just  before  bedtime;  pull  the  neck.  $100  to 
$500. 

Intussusception.  A  telescoping  of  the  small  intestines  into  the  catcum. 
See  appendicitis. 

Iritis.     See  chapter  on  alleged  eye  diseases. 

Kidney  diseases.     See  albuminuria. 

Leucocythemia.  A  blood  disorder  in  which  there  are  too  many  white 
corpuscles,  indicating  by  the  ophthalmoscope  a  nervous  debility  even  before 
it  affects  the  patient's  endurance.    See  debility. 

Leucorrhoea.  A  vaginal  discharge  due  to  nervous  exhaustion  and  lack 
of  observation  of  laws  of  cleanliness.  After  menstruating  the  vagina  should 
be  washed  with  hot  soap-suds,  rinsed  with  tepid  salt  water  and  douched 
once  a  day  with  the  latter.  General  treatment  to  get  system  in  perfect 
shape.     See  dysmenorrhoea. 

Locomotor  Ataxia.      (Tabes  Dorsalis.)     Said  to  be  a  product  of  syph-  . 
ilis.     No  remedy  has  yet  been  found.     We  have  some  patients  who  stopped 
taking  potassium  iodide  seven  years  ago  and  are  in  as  good  shape  as  they 
were  then,  by  simply  watching  the  diet.     They  are  unable  to  perform  any 
business  duties,  however. 


132 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Lumbago.  This  affliction  of  the  loins,  exhibiting  by  pains  in  the  small- 
of-the-back,  requires  general  treatment  applied  strictly,  and  sometimes  man- 
ual treatments  to  adjust  such  vertebra  as  impinge  on  the  nerves.  Some- 
times almost  instant  relief  is  thus  rendered.     $50  to  $200. 

Mania.     See  hysteria. 

Melancholy.     See  hypochondria. 

Menorrhagia.  (Menstrual  flooding.)  Usually  preceded  by  dysmenor- 
rhoea.  Manual  treatment  for  the  emergency  is  to  grasp  a  wisp  of  hair 
around  the  vulva  and  give  it  a  quick,  short  jerk.  It  will  make  the  patient 
angry,  but  it  gives  results.  Then  follow  with  absolute  quiet,  lying  down 
and  a  light  but  vigorous  -f-  diet.  They  are  all  right  in  a  month  as  a  rule. 
$50  to  $200. 

Mentritis  and  Endometritis.  (Inflammation  of  the  womb.)  See 
menorrhagia  for  treatment,  except  manual,  which  is  not  needed. 

Morning  Sickness.  The  vomiting  of  pregnancy  or  from  general  de- 
bility.    Neither  should  exist.     See  debility. 

Myalgia.  Literally  means  muscle  pain,  which  is  an  impossibility  It 
might  be  called  myo-neuralgia.  Pull  the  neck  and  order  general  treat- 
ment.    $50  to  $100. 

Nephritis.     See  Albuminuria. 

Neuralgia.  Nerve  pain,  which  is,  in  fact,  the  only  possible  kind  of 
pain.  Is  a  frequent  sequel  to  surgical  operations,  which  must  be  taken 
into  account  in  our  analysis.  Pull  the  neck  and  follow  with  general 
methods.     $100  to  $500. 

Nymphomania.  Sometimes  called  Priapism.  Excessive  sexual  de- 
sire in  females;  its  synonym  applied  to  males  it  satyriasis.  The  simplest 
and  most  logical  treatment  would  be  the  satisfaction  of  the  desire  ad 
nauseum,  then  mental  education  and  general  treatment.     $100  to  $500. 

Obesity.     (Too  much  fat.)     Strict  diet.     $50  to  $500. 

Ophthalmia.    See  chapter  on  alleged  eye  diseases. 

Orchitis.  (Inflammation  of  the  testicles.  Rest  and  same  procedure 
as  for  gonorrhoea. 

Otitis  and  Otorrhoea.     (Ear  troubles.)     See  catarrh. 

Ozoena.     (Discharge  from  the  nose.)       See  catarrh. 

Paralysis.  (Loss  of  nerve  supply  or  derangement  of  distribution.) 
Absolute  rest,  general  treatment;  pull  the  neck. 

Peritonitis.  (Inflammation  of  the  lining  of  the  abdomen.)  Requires 
absolute  quiet  and  evacuation  of  the  bowels,  strict  diet  and  general 
methods.. 

Pneumonia.  Inflammation  of  lungs.  Pull  neck  and  keep  cold  salt- 
water cloths  on  chest. 

Prolapsus.  (Falling.)  Refers  to  uterus,  anus  and  kidneys.  Treat 
same  as  debility.     $100  to  $500. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


J33 


Prostatitis.     See  gonorrhoea. 

Prostatorrhoea.     See  gonorrhoea. 

Prurigo.     (Also  called  psoriasis.)     Itch.     See  eczema  and  erysipelas. 

Pyrosis.     See  acidity. 

Renal  diseases.     See  albuminura  and  diabetes. 

Rheumatism.  A  fool  word  meaning  rhubarbism,  used  to  denominate 
certain  forms  of  neuralgia.  There  are  two  kinds:  musculo-motor  and 
vasculo-motor;  the  first  is  restricted  to  the  arms,  legs  and  neck;  is  painful 
and  can  be  reached  by  neck  pulling  and  manual  handling  of  the  limbs, 
rotating  and  assisting  to  relieve  the  pressure  which  certainly  exists;  the 
second  involves  the  circulation  of  the  blood  and  lymphatic  systems  and 
causes  swelling  as  well  as  acute  pains ;  general  treatment  alone  is  all  that 
will  be  tolerated.    Let  the  old  schools  have  it.    $100  to  $500. 

Sciatica.     See  Rheumatism. 

Scrofula.     See  Tuberculosis. 

Skin  Diseases.  Symptoms  of  general  nerve  derangements  and  blood 
disorders.     Treat  generally.     See  eczema  and  erysipelas. 

Tetanus.    Pull  neck. 

Tinitus  Aurum.     (Roaring  in  ears.)     See  catarrh. 

Uraemia.     See  Albuminuria. 

Uric  Acid.     See  gout. 

Vertigo.     See  constipation. 

Wounds.  For  fresh  cuts  immerse  in  spirits  turpentine,  then  wrap 
in  coarse  muslin  or  linen  cloth  and  keep  well  soaked. 

Zymolysis.     See  acidity. 

THE    MATTER    OF    DIET. 
A  Couple  of  Hours  With  My  Pupils  in  McCormick  Neurological  College. 

In  the  institution  named  above  the  constant  endeavor  is  to  be  brief 
and  use  simple  language,  so  that  none  may  fail  to  understand.  The  fol- 
lowing are  specimens  of  our  method  of  teaching  dietetics.  There  are 
many  ways  of  telling  the  same  truths,  and  when  the  subject  has  been 
treated  from  many  standpoints  and  under  different  circumstances  during 
the  course,  the  students  become  very  familiar  with  the  essential  prin- 
ciples, when  the  details  take  care  of  themselves  as  they  arise. 

ONE  HOUR'S  WORK. 

After  we  have  built  our  ideal  man  and  denominated  the  functions  of 
the  various  departments,  we  must  remember  that  there  are  two  possible 
situations:  First,  the  influences  over  which  we  have  no  control;  second, 
those  which  are  within  reach.  Of  the  latter,  the  matter  of  sustaining 
vitality  and  avoiding  over-taxation  of  the  reserve  supply  of  nervous  energy 
are  the  greatest,  in  fact  they  are  the  whole  thing. 


134 


NEUIiOLOGY    AND    METAN1V8IC8. 


Ht**Tjteja&.   S>aj; 


tf< 


0%*J 


yj>    Hs/r^SS  &**: 


Fig-  86 


The  diagram  above,  Fig.  86,  showing  the  diet  as  commonly  practiced, 
with  reference  to  quantity,  and  that  which  should  be  practiced,  will  at- 
tract interest,  and  when  simple  reasons  are  given,  there  is  a  better  chance 
of  being  effective.  B  stands  for  breakfast,  D  for  dinner,  S  for  supper.  All 
machinery  works  strictly  in  accordance  with  natural  laws,  and  the  ma- 
chinery in  man  is  no  different  from  any  other,  except  in  being  dominated 
by  mentality,  which  has  been  perverted  from  the  beginning  of  history, 
which  is  the  principal  proof  if  there  is  any,  of  the  existence  of  a  devil,  and 
it  follows  logically  that  when  he  wants  to  take  advantage  of  us  he  would 
naturally  want  to  allay  any  suspicions  we  might  have,  hence  he  teaches 
that  there  is  a  God  who  will  forgive  any  mental  slips,  and  a  mysterious 
doctor  with  mysterious  drugs,  who  can  perform  miracles  if  we  indulge  phy- 
sical appetites,  thus  violating  law.  Neurology  teaches  that  he  is  a  liar  in 
both  cases. 

In  the  morning  when  the  day's  labor  is  about  to  begin,  the  machinery 
should  be  started  gently  by  eating  a  little  fruit,  a  drink  of  pure,  cool  water, 
then  a  little  turn  in  the  open  air,  avoiding  hurry,  getting  up  early  enough 
so  that  from  one-half  to  one  hour  elapses  before  breakfast.  Of  course 
the  first  essential  is  to  go  to  bed  on  a  comparatively  empty  stomach;  and 
right  here  we  have  the  first  reason  for  inconvenience  to  our  patients.  In 
physics  we  have  plus  and  minus  lenses  in  which  the  prisms  are  exactly 
reversed  and  their  effect  upon  light  typifies  exactly  the  effect  of  inverting 
habits. 

A  good  breakfast,  when  the  stomach  is  ready  for  it,  not  only  starts 
the  current  of  nervous  energy,  but  creates  an  equal  demand,  hence,  he 
gets  an  equal  distribution.  No  one  is  liable  to  eat  too  much  in  the  morn- 
ing, hence  he  gets  a  natural  example  as  to  quantity.  At  noon  he  has  a 
natural  appetite  and  gratifies  it  with  about  the  same  quantity,  and  in  the 
evening  there  is  possibly  an  equal  appetite,  but  he  is  given  brains,  a  mind, 
with  which  to  reason  that  there  are  two  things  which  make  a  good  supper 
unnecessary:  First,  he  is  about  to  enter  upon  a  period  of  comparative 
rest ;  second,  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  supply  only  enough  fuel  to  main- 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


135 


tain  the  pressure  for  the  light  work.  Man  is  slightly  different  from  a 
boiler  and  engine,  although  theoretically  the  same,  because,  to  get  a  good 
fire,  combustion  must  be  perfect  to  insure  the  chemical  reactions,  and  in 
the  stomach  hydrochloric  qualities  need  replenishing  just  as  chemical  bat- 
teries do.  but  after  the  chemicals  are  put  in  a  reasonable  time  should  elapse 
before  they  are  asked  to  go  to  work  if  we  want  the  best  effects.  This  is 
principally  what  we  use  lemon  juice  for,  and,  being  a  natural  food  it  may 
be  continued  indefinitely,  without  possible  harm,  just  as  the  engineer 
closes  his  drafts  and  covers  his  fire  at  night'   without  damage. 

Of  course  the  doctor  must  have  brains  as  well  as  the  patient,  and  if 
his  patient  is  working  nights  he  should  have  his  big  meal  in  the  evening, 
a  medium  one  at  midnight,  and  a  light  one  in  the  morning.  Or,  if  a  per- 
son who  has  worked  all  day  is  also  going  to  work  at  night,  he  can  eat  more 
Supper ;  but  in  that  case  he  should  eat  only  a  light  lunch  at  noon  because 
in  all  cases,  working  or  not  working,  the  overloaded  stomach  fails  in  its 
duties. 


tfto~.J  P. 


Fi.?.  85 


The  next  thing  to  consider  is  the  quality,  and  we  have  another  diagram 
for  that,  Fig.  87  showing  the  old  school  proportions  of  carbon,  to  nitrates 
and  phosphates. 

The  accepted  authorities  have  taught  for  generations  that  the  body 
needs  three  to  four  times  as  much  carbon  as  it  does  nitrates  end  phos- 
phates. Observation  of  the  diet  of  our  patients  has  shown  that  they  nat- 
urally use  a  diet  running  in  the  proportion  of  two  to  one.  but  when  under 
the  treatment  of  old  school  methods  they  had  to  take  care  of  a  lot  of  drugs 
also,  and  when  those  failed,  the  chronics  took  up  advertised  foods  which 
increased  the  proportion  of  carbon.  While  those  who  went  to  sanitor- 
iums,  such  as  Battle  Creek,  gained  in  weight  and  apparently  in  strength, 
it  was  only  because  they  were  resting  from  other  labors  and  digested  the 
food,  which,  having  little  else  than  carbon  and  water,  could  make  little  else 
than  fat,  and  v/hen  they  returned  to  their  occupation  they  broke  down 
quicker  than  before. 


T^5  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

For  such  patients  we  reverse  the  order  of  things  to  at  least  the  extent 
of  a  proportion  of  two  N  and  P  to  one  of  C,  and  often  more,  for  at  least  thirty 
days,  often  ninety  days,  and  by  that  time  the  patient  has  learned1  enough 
so  he  rarely  ever  lets  the  carbon  more  than  equal  the  other. 

One  of  the  remarkable  but  very  natural  results  is  that  with  the  same 
diet,  administered  judiciously,  the  fat  person  reduces  rapidly  while  the  lean 
one  increases  in  weight,  slowly  but  surely,  until  he  reaches  his  natural 
standard.  The  reason  is  that  the  material  being  denied  the  fat  man,  except 
sufficient  to  maintain  his  natural  proportions,  he  has  to  come  down  to  it, 
and  while  he  is  doing  this  the  demands  upon  his  circulatory  and  nervous 
systems  are  being  diminished,  while  the  elements  necessary  for  the  mus- 
cles and  nerves  are  increased  and  the  reserve  is  replenished  rapidly.  Here 
we  have  the  explanation  of  why  the  stout  person,  with  average  duties  and 
responsibilities  to  perform,  is  nervous  and  sick  and  is  treated  brutally  be- 
cause he  appears  so  well  he  gets  no  sympathy. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  thin  peron  who  is  sickly  will  always  be  found 
to  have  a  greater  combination  of  causes,  needing  a  more  careful  analysis 
and  treatment,  more  rest  and  more  detailed  explanation  of  his  case  in 
order  to  persuade  him  to  follow  instructions  strictly.  He  certainly  has 
no  excess  weight  to  carry  and  although  he  may  be  eating  all  the  fattening 
foods  the  other  did,  and  he  usually  is,  he  does  not  get  fat  because  he  does 
not  digest  it  and  assimilate  it  and  he  does  not  get  strong  because  he  is 
using  more  energy  than  he  is  creating.  We  put  him  upon  the  +  diet, 
watch  him  carefully  that  he  does  not  overload,  because  he  is  often  inclined 
to,  particularly  at  noon  and  evening,  which  is  one  of  the  reasons  it  didn't 
fatten  him.  We  first  supply  the  energy  to  fill  the  tank,  after  which  the 
process  of  digestion  and  assimilation  is  more  vigorous  and  will  soon  begin 
to  show  increased  strength,  although  it  will  be  some  time  before  he  be- 
gins to  fatten. 

The  objection  has  been  offered  by  thoughtless  people  that  the  doctor 
who  instructs  his  patients  so  thoroughly  will  lose  business  in  one  of  two 
ways,  if  not  both.  First  his  patient  will  go  out  and  use  the  same  treat- 
ment for  others,  thus  beating  the  doctor  out  of  just  dues;  or,  second,  he 
will  try  it  and  fail  to  succeed  when  he  will  declare  that  the  method  is  no 
good  because  of  said  failure.  We  answer  both  at  once:  The  dietary  and 
other  treatment,  instructions  for  which  are  also  given  the  patient,  are 
not  the  only  things.  The  chief  essential  is  lacking,  and  only  the  doctor 
can  supply  it,  which  is  the  analysis  of  each  case,  that  must  always 
precede  treatment.  Hence  only  fools  would  accept  treatment  from  lay- 
men, and  that  is  one  of  the  ways  in  which  the  fool-killer  operates. 

The  manner  in  which  such  bold  people  can  do  harm  is  that  they  de- 
lay securing  skilful  services  in  an  effort  to  save  a  few  dollars,  until  the 
final  expense  is  more  than  double,  because  the  neurologist  charges  for 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


137 


the  value  of  his  services,  which  is  measured  by  the  benefits  to  his  pa- 
tients. Those  who  willfully  delay  rational  treatments  and  experiment 
with  patent  medicines,  diagnosis,  operations,  etc.,  are  charged  in  propor- 
tion to  the  difficulties  they  have  added  to  their  cases. 

While  we  are  able  to  make  and  do  make  deliberate  figures  upon  the 
principal  articles  of  diet,  there  are  many  which  have  not  been  analyzed 
and  so  many  that  are  used  in  such  small  quantities  that  it  counts  for  lit- 
tle, if  we  have  the  following  classification  and  remember  the  matter  of 
quantity  we  cannot  make  mistakes. 

Foods  which  grow  underground  entirely,  like  potatoes,  peanuts,  etc., 
and  those  which  have  the  fruit  upon  the  end  of  a  hollow  stalk  like 
wheat,  rice,  etc.,  contain  the  most  carbon,  hence  when  eaten  at  all 
should  be  accompanied  by  fish,  oysters,  chicken,  veal,  mutton,  ham  or 
game,  with  fruits,  such  as  apples,  cranberries,  gooseberries,  strawber- 
ries, olives,  figs,  oranges,  pineapples,  tomatoes,  etc.,  which  are  all  highly 
nitrogenous  and  phosphatic. 

Such  vegetables  as  turnips,  beets,  radishes,  celery,  rhubarb,  melons, 
cabbage,  etc.,  are  chiefly  water,  having  a  proportion  of  carbon  and  ni- 
trates and  phosphates  of  about  two  C  to  one  N  and  P,  but  both  in  small 
quantities,  not  averaging  over  6%  in  the  aggregate. 

Peas,  beans,  corn,  etc.,  are  in  about  a  proportion  of  one  to  one. 

Nuts  are  good  food,  because  their  oils  are  fattening,  easily  digested, 
and  the  nerve  and  muscle  elements  are  in  good  proportion.  The  pecu- 
liar oil  is  such  that  too  great  quantities  have  reverse  effects  quicker 
than  almost  any  other  +  food. 

Milk,  cheese  and  water  are  all  good. 

One  of  the  essentials  to  success  in  dietary  is  variety  and  it  is  not 
advisable  to  give  a  patient  more  than  two  days'  diet  at  a  time,  when  he 
should  return  for  dynamic  and  static  tests  and  further  instructions.  In 
order  to  avoid  an  apparent  sameness,  if  treating  two  cases  in  the  same 
family,  at  different  times,  be  sure  to  keep  records  and  make  such  changes 
as  will  show  that  it  is  the  doctor  who  is  prescribing.  If  there  are  two 
cases  in  the  family  at  once,  it  is  all  right  to  prescribe  the  same  diet, 
explaining  that  it  is  done  for  convenience,  and  that  the  dietary,  while 
an  essential,  is  only  so  in  a  general  way. 

There  is  considerable  difference  in  fruits,  for  unknown  reasons,  but 
experiment  has  shown  that  as  a  rule  those  with  many  seeds  or  compart- 
ments are  superior  to  those  with  a  single  seed.  For  example,  the  cherry, 
with  a  tough,  smooth  skin  like  a  grape,  is  not  as  good  food  as  the  grape, 
the  latter  being  all  right  for  almost  everybody,  provided  they  are  washed 
before  eaten.  The  sugar  is  chiefly  upon  the  outside.  Peaches  are  large- 
ly water,  but  having  a  rough  seed  and  a  quality  peculiar  to  themselves, 
are  better  than  pears,  which  have  small  seeds  but  are  chiefly  water. 


138 


NEUROLOGY    AND   METAPHYSICS. 


A  common  fault  seen  in  every  home  is  that  they  eat  soup  first, 
and  fruit  and  pastry  last.  A  very  palatable  and  excellent  dinner  of 
chicken,  beans,  corn  and  potatoes  may  have  its  effect  entirely  neutralized 
by  adding  the  pastry  which  is  eaten  either  for  politeness  or  because  it  is 
attractive  to  the  taste,  and  the  natural  result  of  such  a  combination  is 
first,  too  great  a  quantity;  second,  the  quality  is  destroyed.  A  proper 
arrangement  would  be  to  eat  a  little  fruit  first,  then  the  soup,  then  the 
pastry,  then  the  dinner,  because  the  intense  tasting  foods  cause  the 
others  to  pall  soon  and  we  have  thus  stopped  quantity  and  struck  a 
pretty  good  average  in  quality. 

For  breakfast,  ham,  veal,  mutton  or  chicken,  with  corn,  peas  or 
beans  and  tomatoes,  may  make  a  little  more  work,  but  having  the  boiled 
dinners,  roasts,  etc.,  at  noon,  the  saving  of  work  after  supper  by  eating 
cold  meats,  green  vegetables,  like  lettuce  and  sliced  tomatoes,  with 
cheese  and  other  things  easily  prepared,  revolutionizes  house  work,  be- 
cause even  the  dishes  may  be  left  and  washed  before  breakfast  in  the 
morning..  Put  the  dishes  to  soak  in  cold  water  in  the  evening  and  they 
will  wash  easily  in  the  morning.  In  this  way  the  dishes  won't  dry  and 
wife  who  does  her  own  work  will  have  more  time  with  the  family  in  the 
evening,  which  is  as  it  should  be. 

Cold  meats  are  not  palatable  to  some  people,  but  are  really  better 
and  if  eaten  with  plenty  of  salt,  cranberries,  apple  sauce  or  stewed 
fruits,  jams,  jellies,  etc.,  together  with  observing  the  other  details  of  diet 
and  hygiene,  the  appetite  feature  is  soon  changed  because  the  system  is 
in  such  shape  that  any  thing  tastes  good. 

It  is  against  our  principles  to  force  patients  to  eat  when  not  hungry. 
It  is  our  business  to  create  an  appetite,  and  while  doing  it  the  meals 
are  liable  to  be  a  little  irregular,  especially  for  children,  and  we  advise 
keeping  fruit  convenient,  particularly  apples  and  oranges,  with  berries 
in  season,  so  that  if  the  patient  is  hungry  at  bedtime,  or  awakes  hungry 
in  the  night,  a  few  bites  of  fruit  and  a  cracker  may  be  eaten  without 
harm. 

If  a  patient  has  been  under  medical  treatment  and  has  taken  medi- 
cine within  forty-eight  hours,  we  do  not  begin  dieting  except  as  to  quan- 
tity, until  another  day  has  passed. 

We  do  not  starve  anyone;  that  is,  even  in  the  most  rigid  cases,  we 
do  not  allow  the  pangs  of  hunger  to  annoy.  Often  those  who  have  been 
voracious  eaters  will  insist  that  they  cannot  live  on  what  we  prescribe 
for  the  first  few  days,  but  in  three  weeks  will  volunteer  the  information 
that  they  never  before  realized  what  a  comfort  the  stomach  could  be,  a 
common  expression  being,  "I  really  don't  want  the  extra  food  I  used  to 
eat." 

In  treating  males  who  smoke  or  chew,  we  do  not  permit  it  after 


CLINICAL  TORTION. 


*39 


supper,  while  under  our  instructions;  while  bad  tastes  in  the  mouth  come 
from  bad  teeth  or  deranged  liver,  our  dietary  will  ascertain  which,  if  not 
interfered  with  by  tobacco,  candy,  etc.,  eaten  after  supper.  The  last 
named  applies  chiefly  to  children  and  women. 

ANOTHER    HOUR. 

When  I  assert  that  by  our  system  of  dietetics  we  can  take  off  excess 
fat  or  increase  the  weight  of  lean  people  with  the  same  articles  of  food, 
some  readers  will  be  disposed  to  doubt  my  sanity  or  my  veracity.  But  I 
only  ask  a  hearing  and  a  trial  to  convince  the  most  skeptical.  There  are 
so  many  fads  in  food  that  half  of  the  population  of  America  is  devoted  to 
one  or  another  of  them,  while  the  other  half  ignores  them  all,  and  both 
classes  are  constantly  reminded  they  have  stomachs.  The  last  named 
are  the  most  tolerable  because  they  are  not  everlastingly  worrying  others 
with  their  troubles,  as  those  comprising  the  first  class  do.  The  reason 
they  are  faddists  is  because  not  one  of  all  their  many  so-called  systems 
has  the  least  scientific  basis. 

The  first  essential  of  a  dietary  system  is  an  understanding  of  the 
chemistry  of  the  body;  the  second  is  the  chemistry  of  food  ;the  third  is 
the  quantity  to  eat;  the  fifth  is  when  not  to  eat;  the  sixth  is  how  to  eat. 

The  fourteen  principal  elements  in  the  human  body  are  oxygen,  car- 
bon, nitrogen,  phosphorus,  sulphur,  chlorine,  silicon,  hydrogen,  calcium, 
sodium,  potassium,  iron,  fluorine  and  magnesium.  The  first  eight  are 
classed  as  acids  and  the  other  six  as  alkalies  by  the  authorities,  and  are 
given  the  signs  —  for  acids  and  +  for  alkalies. 

Analysis  of  the  body  is  one  thing;  analysis  of  food  is  another;  the 
reactions  of  the  fluids  of  the  body  on  the  food  is  a  third;  and  the  effects 
of  the  new  combination  on  the  body  is  a  fourth  proposition.  The  first 
tells  us  that  what  the  body  comprises  it  must  have  to  sustain  it;  the 
second  tells  us  the  proportions  of  elements  in  foods,  enabling  us  to  select 
those  which  promise  to  supply  what  we  find  deficient;  the  third  must,  of 
necessity,  be  empirical,  because  the  fluids  of  the  body  are  exceedingly 
inconstant  in  their  proportions,  hence  the  need  of  a  doctor  who  knows 
what  exhibits  mean,  with  reference  to  the  reactions,  and  what  to  do 
when  they  are  not  normal;  the  fourth  is  like  the  third  to  a  degree,  be- 
cause, for  the  same  reasons,  one  not  devoting  his  time  to  the  study  could 
not  hope  to  choose  a  diet  successfully. 

In  applying  the  signs  +  and  —  we  ignore  the  chemical  laws  by 
which  the  signs  are  given  to  the  fourteen  elements  named,  because  they 
become  inoperative  when  we  have  added  the  second  duality  in  the  last 
paragraph  above ;  also  for  the  reason  that  it  is  intended  to  make  the  story 
as  simple  as  possible. 

The  drug  schools  of  medicine  have  no  system  of  dietetics,  except 
starvation  and  the  old  carbo-hydrate  theory,  because  they  have  attempted 


140 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


to  supply  the  elements  needed  by  way  of  their  prescription  cases,  in 
order  to  earn  a  fee.  Neurologists  never  write  a  prescription  that  cannot 
be  filled  in  the  family  kitchen  or  at  a  grocery,  and  they  feel  that  they 
doubly  earn  their  fees  because  they  are  taking  absolutely  no  risks  with 
their  patients. 

Popular  writers  on  the  subject  have  all  declared  that  from  three  to 
four  times  as  much  carbon  is  required  as  there  is  of  nitrates  and  phos- 
phates combined.  This  is  the  carbo-hydrate  theory  in  the  abstract.  Ob- 
servation and  experiment  have  proved  it  a  false  proposition  and  found 
why  it  is  false. 

The  body  receives  its  nourishment  by  way  of  the  blood,  the  lym- 
phatics, the  mesenteries  and  the  nerves;  the  first  two  not  only  carry  good 
material  into  its  labyrinths  but  they  also  carry  out  refuse.  If  you  have 
ever  observed  the  "feed-wires"  of  the  trolley  on  an  electric  railway  you 
will  understand  that  the  nerve  ganglia  and  plexuses,  plentifully  distrib- 
uted about  the  body,  play  important  parts  not  only  in  taking  on  nerve 
elements  but  in  distributing  heat  and  power. 

Of  the  fourteen  elements  we  ascribe  greatest  importance  to  that 
class  which  not  only  furnish  building  material  but  have  a  preservative 
quality,  and  we  give  them  as  a  group  the  positive  sign  (+),  while  to 
the  others,  which  are  only  auxiliary,  we  give  the  negative  sign,  ( — ). 
These  signs  are  used  in  the  same  sense  they  apply  to  lenses,  for  the  rea- 
sons that  +  lenses,  while  having  a  positive  effect  to  their  focal  points, 
become  negative  thereafter,  and  —  lenses,  while  always  negative,  except 
jn  the  matter  of  reflection,  are  sometimes  necessary  in  cases  of  excess 
positive  development  in  the  eyes.  Thus  we  receive  a  physical  hint  from 
Nature  that  the  principle  may  be  applied  physiologically,  mentally,  diete- 
tically  and  in  many  other  ways. 

The  -f-  foods  are,  as  a  rule,  not  so  palatable  as  the  — ,  so  that  there 
is  always  a  tendency  to  take  too  much  of  the  latter  and  not  enough 
of  the  former.  Therefore  we  follow  the  same  rule  in  prescribing  diet 
that  we  do  with  glasses,  giving  plenty  of  -j-  and  as  little  —  as  will  ac- 
complish what  we  desire.  It  is  a  more  complex  proposition,  however, 
because,  if  we  give  too  much  -j-  glass  no  harm  is  done  but  the  good  in- 
tended is  not  accomplished,  while  if  we  give  too  much  -f  food  we  do 
harm  by  not  doing  good.  Nature  guides  us  in  the  matter  of  prescribing, 
by  the  reactions.  If  just  the  right  quantity  is  taken  it  is  palatable  and 
is  assimilated,  giving  quick  benefits;  if  too  much  is  taken  it  first  loses  its 
attractiveness  to  the  palate,  next  it  sets  the  teeth  "on  edge"  or  nauseates. 
The  —  foods  are  always  palatable;  one  will  overload  with  them,  because 
they  taste  good,  even  when  experience  has  taught  that  the  effects  will 
be  bad;  witness  the  boy  who  wanted  a  second  piece  of  pie,  and  when  his 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


141 


mother  denied  him,  saying  it  would  make  him  ill,  he  replied,  "Give  me 
another  piece  and  send  for  the  doctor." 

Before  prescribing  a  dietary  we  must  make  a  complete  analysis  of 
the  case  and  classify  it.  We  may  find  the  patient  using  a  +  diet  Dut 
not  getting  the  full  benefit  of  it  because  of  physiological  strain  from  tak- 
ing it,  or  from  physical  defects  which  require  more  nerve  supply  than  his 
machinery  can  furnish,  or  from  negative  habits  which  tend  to  neutralize 
whatever  positive  effects  he  may  be  receiving  from  other  directions. 

A  case  is  said  to  be  in  the  -f-  class  when  there  is  a  good  showing  in 
the  history  and  by  the  dynamic  test,  but  if  the  static  test  shows  +  symp- 
toms it  means  he  is  in  a  state  of  irritation  and  that  is  sufficient  evidence 
that  it  is  time  to  regulate  the  demands  upon  the  nerve  supply;  in  such 
cases,  however,  we  may  expect  to  find  constipation,  or  in  women,  dys- 
menorrhea, with  a  bilious  tendency.  In  these  cases  if  we  succeed  in 
suppressing  the  spasm  during  the  first  refraction  test,  the  static  test,  with 
correction  on,  may  register  zero  or  even  a  little  — ,  and  that  symptom 
then  becomes  merely  a  compliment  to  our  work,  but  if  the  +  impulse 
remains  after  correcting  errors  of  refraction,  it  is  nature's  way  of  tell- 
ing us  that  we  have  not  controlled  the  spasm  in  the  eyes  or  anywhere 
else,  and  that  we  have  not  the  full  measure  of  the  errors.  If  such  a  case 
with  a  +  history  and  a  +  dynamic  test  shows  —  by  the  static  test  we 
would  suspect  something  wrong  with  the  history,  because  the  static 
test  rarely  deceives. 

A  good  history  with  weak  dynamic  and  static  tests  would  still  be 
considered  in  the  +  class  and  would  be  described  as  a  +  case  with  — 
symptoms. 

If  the  history  is  bad,  such  as  constipation,  biliousness,  dysmenor- 
rhea, headaches,  the  dynamic  test  registers  poorly  and  the  static  regis- 
ters zero,  we  still  put  it  in  the  -f-  class,  with  average  impulses,  although 
these  are  the  rarest  cases  we  get  hold  of. 

A  negative  history,  with  strong  accommodation  but  showing  —  by  the 
static  test,  would  be  classed  as  a  —  case  with  -f-  symptoms,  we  would 
expect  to  find  clonic  spasm  during  the  refraction  test,  and  among  the 
auxiliary  symptoms  would  be  less  constipation  than  in  the  -j-  cases; 
in  women  there  would  be  dysmenorrhoea  but  with  too  frequent  menstru- 
ation, often  accompanied  by  flooding.  This  class  of  cases,  while  causing 
the  most  concern  to  the  old  school  doctors,  is  our  very  best  reputation 
maker. 

A  bad  history,  with  a  strong  accommodation  but  the  static  test  regis- 
tering zero,  is  recorded  as  a  —  case  with  average  symptoms.  We  are  not 
liable  to  have  much  resistance  during  the  refraction  test  as  this  class  is 
usually  of  presbyopic  tendencies. 

A  bad  history  with  a  weak  accommodation   (which  is  indicated  by 


142 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


nausea  following  the  effort,  even  though  the  dynamic  test  registers 
well),  and  the  static  test  shows  — ,  we  register  it  as  a  —  case  with  — 
impulses.  This  case  very  often  has  constipation,  indigestion  and  their 
complementary  ills,  from  sheer  lack  of  nerve  supply. 

A  recapitulation  of  the  above  puts  it  in  the  simple  form  of  dualities, 
as  follows :  Dualities 

i.  -f-  cases  with  +  impulses. 

2.  +  cases  with  -f-  —  impulses. 

3.  -f-  cases  with f-  impulses. 

4.  +  cases  with  —  impulses. 

5.  —  cases  with  -f-  impulses. 

6.  —  cases  with  -| impulses. 

7.  —  cases  with 1-  impulses. 

8.  —  cases  with  —  impulses. 

The  principal  combinations  of  these  dualities  are: 

First,  the  extremes,  1  and  8.  One  is  dangerous  locally  only,  while 
eight  is  general  neurasthenia,  dangerous  to  life. 

Second,  1  and  4;  the  extremes  of  the  -f-  class. 

Third,  1  and  2  of  the  +  class,  showing  the  downward  tendency. 

Fourth,  2  and  3,  of  the  +  class,  showing  when  the  —  symptoms 
begin  to  dominate. 

Fifth,  3  and  4  of  the  -f-  class,  when  it  is  almost  ready  to  be  put  in 
the  —  class 

Sixth,  4  and  5,  which  is  difficult  for  the  beginner  to  distinguish  from 
the  fifth  combination;  but  as  both  are  treated  in  the  same  manner  it  is 
only  as  a  test  of  judgment  that  we  suggest  attempt  at  differentiation. 

Seventh,  5  and  6,  showing  decided  decline  into  the  —  class. 

Eighth,  6  and  7,  showing  how  the  symptoms  are  in  the  ascendancy. 

Ninth,  7  and  8,  showing  how  the  -f-  symptoms  have  disappeared  and 
the  case  has  no  promising  features. 

Tenth,  the  +  and  —  cases  exhibit  mental  symptoms  positive  and  neg- 
ative, from  the  extreme  violence  of  insanity  to  mild  hysteria  in  the  + 
class  and  from  the  latter  to  extreme  hypocondria  in  the  —  class. 

Reference  to  the  table  shows  that  human  milk  contains  7%  carbonates 
to  3  1/2%  nitrates  and  phosphates  and  89  1/2%  water,  which  tells  us  that 
the  four  vital  departments  are  fat,  muscle,  nerve  and  blood.  Too  much 
importance  has  been  attached  to  the  fat  because  it  was  supposed  to  furn- 
ish heat  elements,  which  is  easily  disproved  by  the  fact  that  excessively 
fat  people  suffer  more  from  cold  than  any  other  class  of  well  people. 
Indeed  they  are  rarely  perfectly  well  because  they  lack  the  nerve  supply 
to  carry  the  weight  and  heat  it,  circulate  blood  and  carry  off  the  waste. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 

Carbon-  Ni- 

ates.  trates. 

(Fat)  (Muscle) 

Asparagus    5-4%  0.6% 

Barley    52.1  12.8 

Beans 40.0  24.0 

Beef    ...'.    14.0  19.0 

Buckwheat    53.0  8.6 

Butter 100. o  .... 

Cabbage 6.2  1.2 

Carrots 12.2  1.1 

Cauliflower 4.6  3.6 

Cheese    28.0  30.8 

Chicken 1.9  21.6 

Chocolate    88.0  8.8 

Corn   (Northern) 67.5  12.3 

Corn  (Southern)   39 . 2  34 . 6 

Eggs  (White)   13.0 

Eggs  (Yolk)   29.8  16.9 

Ham    32.0  35.0 

Lamb    . 14 . 3  19.6 

Lard    . ...100.0  .... 

Milk  (Cow) 8.0  5.0 

Milk  (Human)    .  ... 7.0  3.0 

Mutton    14.0  21.0 

Oats .' 56.0  17.0 

Onions 5.2  0.5 

Parsnips    .* 1.  .   14.5  2.1 

Peas 41.0  23.4 

Pigeon 1.9  23.0 

Pork    16.0  17.5 

Potatoes    (Irish)    , 15.8  1.4 

Potatoes  (Sweet)    21.8  1.5 

Radishes    ......     7.4  1.2 

Rice    82.0  5.1 

Rye    ) 75.2  6.5 

Suet :....ioo.o  .... 

Turnips    ^ 4  •  °  *  • 2 

Veal    14-3  17-7 

Venison    ', 8.0  20.4 

Vermicelli 38 .  o  47 . 5 

Wheat ,..66.4  14.6 


H3 


Phos- 

phates. 

Water. 

(Nerve) 

(Blood) 

0.4% 

93-6% 

4.2 

14  0 

35 

14.8 

2.0 

65.0 

1.8 

14.2 

♦  •   • 

0.8 

. .  •  • 
9i -3. 

1.0 

82.5 

1.0 

90.0, 

4-7 

36.5 

2.8 

73-7 

1.8 

•   •   •    • 

1.1 

14.0 

41 

14.0. 

2.8 

84.2 

2.0 

51.3 

4.4 

28.6 

2.2 

63-9 

•   •   • 

1.0 

•   •   •   • 

86.0, 

05 

895 

2.0 

63.0 

3.0 

136 

0.5 

938 

1.0 

79-4 

2-5 

14. 1 

2.7 

72.4 

2.2 

643. 

0.9 

74.8 

2.9 

675 

I.O 

89.1 

0.5 

9.0 

0-5 

135 

0.5 

90.4 

23 

65-7 

2.8 

68.8 

1.7 

12.8: 

1.6 

14.0 

144 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


In  adding  the  tabulated  figures  horizontally,  whatever  they  lack  of 
ioo  is  waste. 

Refer  again  to  the  table  and  see  that  cows'  milk  contains  8%  car- 
bon and  6%  nitrates  and  phosphates,  three-fourths  as  much  of  the  lat- 
ter as  of  the  former,  an  increase  in  nitrates  and  phosphates,  of  about  42% 
and  an  increase  of  only  about  14%  in  carbonates,  over  mothers'  milk. 

Or,  in  a  baby's  first  food  we  find  half  as  much  nitrates  and  phos- 
phates as  there  is  carbon,  and  in  its  second  food,  three-fourths  as  much. 
Another  hint  from  Nature.  Then,  when  we  find  nearly  all  patients  living 
on  the  —  foods  which  contain  about  two  to  four  times  as  much  carbon  as 
nitrates  and  phosphates  combined,  we  conclude  they  have  considerable  to 
do  with  the  troubles. 

The  following  cases  were  not  only  coincident  in  the  matter  of  time 
of  their  calls  upon  me,  but  in  the  quality  of  food  in  relative  proportions  to 
their  capacity,  and  their  treatment  was  identical,  so  they  will  serve  to  il- 
lustrate the  reasonableness  of  my  assertion  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 
Dr.  S.,  a  physician,  graduate  of  Jefferson  Medical  College  and  a  prac- 
titioner of  sixteen  years,  came  complaining  of  weak  ankles,  a  tired,  fright- 
ened sensation,  excessive  perspiration,  and  general  weakness.  He  weighed 
269  pounds,  had  an  enormous  appetite,  except  in  the  mornings,  and  ate 
fairly  well  then;  height  about  6  feet  2  inches;  age  about  40. 

Miss  C,  aged  thirteen,  of  large  frame  but  of  very  light  weight,  65 
pounds;  appetite  good,  except  for  breakfast;  anaemic,  neurasthenic  and 
inclined  to  melancholy. 

I  classified  the  doctor  as  +  with  —  symptoms  dominating,  and  the 

girl  as  —  with  ■ 1-  symptoms.     Their  diet  was  practically  the  same; 

the  doctor  ate  it  because  he  liked  it,  and  the  girl  because  her  parents  were 
trying  to  fatten  her  as  they  believed  that  fat  gave  off  strength.  Follow- 
ing is  their  list: 

Carbon     Nitrates     Phosphates  Water 

Beef    , 14.0%         19.0%         2.0%         65.0% 

Pancakes 53.0       .       8.6  1.8  14.2 

Wheat  Bread 66.4  14.6  1.6  14.0 

Potatoes   , 15.8  1.4  £.9  748 

Eggs  (White)    13.0  2.8  84.2 

Eggs (  Yolk)   29.8  16.9  2.0         .51 .3 

179  o  73.5  1/1  3<>3.5 

Practically  twice  as  much  carbon  as  of  nitrates  and  phosphates  com- 
bined. The  girl  had  been  wearing  concave  glasses,  —  1.00  cylinders  fitted 
by  a  pretentious  oculist,  for  which  I  substituted  -f-  1.50  spheres  which  gave 
perfect  vision.  The  doctor  had  1.25  hyperopia  but  as  he  was  in  the  -f-  class 
I  did  not  insist  that  he  wear  the  correction.  I  put  them  both  on  a  diet  of 
which  the  following  is  a  specimen;  of  course)  it  was  changed  occasionally 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  j^j- 

to  give  variety  and  secure  the  proper  proportions  of  other  elements  neces- 
sary, which,  by  the  way,  take  care  of  themselves  if  we  take  care  of  thq 
principal  features,  just  as  the  other  meridians  of  a  compound  lens  are  taken 
care  of  if  we  attend  to  the  two  principal  ones: 

Carbon     Nitrates  Phosphates    Water 

Fish    ..., 0.8%         16.9%         .4.3%         .78.0% 

Oysters    12.6  0.2  87.2 

Chicken 1.9  21.6  2.8  73.7 

Cabbage 6.2  1.2  0.8  91.3 

Peas 41.6  23.4  2.5  14.0 

Cauliflower  . 4.6  3.6  1.2  90.0 


54-5  79-3  1 1 -8  434-2 

Almost  twice  as  much  nitrates  and  phosphates  as  carbon. 

To  this  was  added  the  juice  of  a  whole  lemon  without  sugar,  in  a  glass 

of  water  at  bedtime;  a  salt  water  mouth  wash  in  the  morning,  followed 

by  a  glass  or  two  of  water,  then  fruit  to  precede  breakfast  and  all  other 

meals. 

In  one  month,  to  the  day,  the  doctor  reported  having  lost  71  pounds, 

and  feeling  so  well  he  exhibited  his  agility  by  jumping  over  a  couch  in  my 

office.     Later  his  weight  increased  to  223,  when  he  became  alarmed  and 

ceased  his  carelessness  with  the  result  that  when  I  saw  him  several  years 

later  he  had  reduced  himself  to  186  and  was  holding  it. 

The  girl  reported  occasionally  but  was  not  discharged  for  three  months, 
when  she  was  perfectly  well  and  weighed  no,  having  gained  45  pounds. 

Now  the  reason  she  gained  weight  while  the  doctor  lost  is  simple.  First, 
the  food  she  had  been  eating  had  no  nerve  or  muscle  elements  in  it  worth 
counting  and  she  was  unable  to  digest  it,  particularly  when  piled  into 
her  apparatus  in  excess  quantities,  but  by  our  adjustment  of  quantity  as 
well  as  quality  she  soon  recuperated  so  that  digestion  and  assimilation 
were  perfect;  then  as  there  was  some  carbon  in  my  dietary  she  used  it  to 
increase  her  weight  in  proportion  to  her  strength. 

Second,  the  doctor  lost  weight  because  we  cut  down  the  extraordin- 
ary supply  of  elements,  hence  it  had  to  come  down  to  the  same  level.  He 
had  been  digesting  his  food  but  as  there  were  not  enough  -J-  elements  to 
keep  the  nerves  and  muscles  up  to  the  standard  required  to  carry  the  fat 
he  became  weak.  By  our  system  we  reversed  the  situation  and  brought 
his  load  within  his  capacity,  while  in  the  other  case  we  started  the  machin- 
ery with  small  loads  until  it  got  under  good  headway,  then  increased  until 
desired  results  were  obtained..  It  took  longer  in  the  girl's  case  because 
she  was  in  the  ■ —  class  while  the  doctor  was  in  the  +•  All  he  needed  was 
to  prevent  overtaxing  his  nerve  supply,  but  she  required  the  building  up 
of  a  sufficient  amount  to  keep  her  machinery  going. 


j  A  6  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

The  +  class  of  foods  comprises  such  meats  as  chicken,  game,  mutton, 
veal,  pork  and  beef,  except  that  in  beginning  with  a  weak  case  we  omit 
the  last  named  because  it  is  of  more  fibrous  structure  and  slower  to  dis- 
integrate. Fish,  oysters,  turtles,  clams,  etc.,  are  all  strictly  +,  having 
practically  no  carbon,  hence  with  a  meal  of  fish  we  allow  bread  and 
butter.  Of  vegetables,  beans,  cauliflower,  peas,  tomatoes,  southern  corn, 
with  relishes  like  olives,  lettuce,  cold  cabbage-slaw,  radishes,  onions,  tur- 
nips, etc.,  occasionally.  Eggs,  cheese,  milk,  coffee,  tea  or  beer,  the  last 
three  once  or  twice  a  day,  do  no  harm  and  often  encourage  the  patient  in 
following  other  instructions.  Strawberries  and  other  products  of  vines 
and  shrubs  are  nearly  all  + ;  grapes  carry  too  much  sugar  for  people  who 
are  already  too  fat,  and  pumpkins,  cucumbers  and  melons  are  chiefly 
water.  Tree  fruits  containing  one  seed  are,  as  a  rule,  in  the  —  class,  but 
apples,  oranges,  lemons,  pomgranates,  etc.,  are  -|-.  Nuts,  in  limited  quan- 
tities, are  good,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  live  on  fruits,  nuts  and  water 
when  there  are  so  many  other  good  things.  I  do  not  think  Nature  in- 
tended we  should  slight  them. 

The  —  class  includes  all  breakfast  foods  chocolate,  cocoa,  potatoes, 
most  cereals,  peanuts,  sweets,  pastry,  butter,  lard,  suet,  pancakes,  wines 
and  liquors. 

In  objection  to  this  list  my  attention  has  been  called  to  the  alleged 
fact  that  the  Japanese  live  on  rice  almost  exclusively,  yet  they  are  strong 
and  healthy.  The  statement  is  as  false  as  that  the  Chinese  subsist  on  rats. 
It  is  true  the  Japanese  use  a  great  deal  of  rice,  but  they  use  as  much  fish 
which  is  more  -(-  than  the  rice  is  — ,  then  they  have  an  abundance  of 
fruit.  It  is  also  to  be  remembered  to  their  credit  that  they  are  a  deliberate 
race,  doing  nothing  hastily  or  excessively.  We  can  eat  almost  anything 
if  we  are  reasonably  observant  of  quantity  and  avoid  overloading.  After 
we  get  our  patients  in  good  condition  we  allow  them  to  eat  anything  they 
like. 

Now,  as  to  how  to  eat  and  drink:  Some  insist  that  food  should  be 
eaten  very  slowly,  chewed  to  fine  pulp  and  saturated  thoroughly  with 
saliva  before  swallowing.  I  suggest,  by  the  same  token,  that  several  chew 
it,  passing  it  around  for  half  an  hour  or  so.  Nothing  irritates  me  more 
than  to  see  an  ignorant  faddist  prop  a  paper  on  the  table  in  front  of  him 
and  endeavor  to  read — usually  he  carries  a  little  box  of  pills  and  takes 
half  a  dozen  of  them  first.  Then  comes  the  hot  water  fiend  and  he  who 
swallows  a  section  of  hose  daily  and  washes  out  his  stomach.  I  have 
never  seen  one  of  them  who  ever  amounted  to  much  mentally  or  physic- 
ally. It  is  really  better  to  not  chew  the  food  too  much,  and  if  thrown 
into  the  stomach  in  chunks  it  is  all  the  easier  disintegrated.  Of  course 
there  are  rules  of  decency  to  be  observed,  but  aside  from  those  we 
care  not  how  fast  the  food  is  taken  nor  how  little  it  is  chewed  provided 


CLINICAL  PORTION.      T"  ~*V  j.^ 

the  amount  is  kept  within  limits  of  ability  to  take  care  of  it.  The  stomach, 
in  this  respect,  is  like  a  coal  stove;  if  a  fire  is  wanted  no  one  would  be  so 
foolish  as  to  fill  the  magazine  with  slack  coal,  but  by  putting  on  a  few 
lumps  at  a  time  combustion  is  better  because  the  air  has  a  circulation ;  so 
it  is  with  the  stomach ;  if  it  be  loaded  full  of  finely  chewed  food  the  gastric 
juices  are  unable  to  penetrate  it  and  the  muscular  action  cannot  help  be- 
cause it  is  restricted  by  the  quantity,  thus  the  mass  lies  like  lead,  while 
if  it  were  in  chunks  the  liquid  could  attack  it  much  more  readily  even  if 
the  stomach  were  so  full  that  muscular  action  was  interferred  with.  But 
if  the  quantity  is  regulated,  even  the  pulp  can  be  handled  better,  and,  as 
disintegration  is  a  condition  precedent  to  digestion,  that  function  will 
be  practically  assured.  I  have  always  eaten  fast,  talked  fast,  worked  fast, 
and  been  rather  rapid  on  general  principles,  but  since  I  learned  how  to 
regulate  the  quality  and  quantity  of  my  food  I  have  never  known  I  pos- 
sessed a  stomach,  except  that  I  keep  reasonably  fat  and  strong  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  I  do  more  work  than  any  three  average  men.  I  am  five 
feet  six  and  weigh  145  to  150  pounds. 

Nearly  every  patient  reports  no  appetite  for  breakfast,  a  fair  one  at 
noon  and  a  big  one  in  the  evening.  Then  they  wonder  why  they  have 
acidity  of  the  stomach,  bloating  and  other  disturbances.  I  tell  them  the 
only  marvellous  thing  about  it  is  that  they  do  not  explode.  The  drug 
doctor  prescribes  for  the  effects,  acids,  alkalies,  and  a  dozen  other  things, 
with  only  temporary  results,  which  would  come  anyhow  if  the  victim  would 
wait  awhile.  We  go  after  the  cause,  stop  eating,  then,  if  the  immediate 
effects  are  distressing,  we  tell  patient  to  take  half  a  teaspoonful  of  dry  salt, 
followed  by  a  swallow  of  water  to  wash  it  down  so  it  will  be  dissolved  by 
the  gastric  juices.  Sometimes  the  salt  acts  as  an  emetic — all  right,  no 
harm  done ;  it  was  not  sufficient  to  make  the  hydro-chloric  condition  neces- 
sary for  the  work  to  be  done,  but  was  enough  to  help  it  unload. 

Next  we  order  light  suppers,  principally  of  fruit.  When  a  patient 
declares  he  cannot  stand  the  acids  in  the  fruit,  and  that  he  has  too  much 
acid  already,  we  ask  where  he  got  his  information  and  usually  find  he 
guessed  at  it.  We  explain  that  he  is  correct  in  one  respect,  which  is  that 
he  is  full  of  lactic  and  butyric  acids  from  the  fermentation  of  the  material 
in  his  stomach,  but  the  reason  it  is  there  is  because  he  has  not  enough 
of  the  natural  acids  to  accomplish  the  work  necessary  for  digestion.  Not 
long  since  an  ex-U.  S.  navy  surgeon  came  to  my  office,  just  before  noon, 
in  great  distress,  and  wanted  to  see  me  immediately.  I  left  my  class- 
room and  found  him  doubled  up  with  pain.  I  gave  him  a  dose  of  salt  and 
returned  to  my  work.  Fifteen  minutes  later  I  came  out  and  he  was  happy 
as  a  clam.  He  asked  what  wonderful  remedy  that  was.  I  asked  what  it 
"tasted  like,  and  he  replied  that  it  was  salty.  I  said  it  ought  to  taste  that 
way  to  a  live  man  because  it  was  salt.     He  was  astonished.     Then  I 


148 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


gave  his  paunch  a  manual  turn  or  two  and  told  him  to  drink  a  glass  of 
sour  lemonade  with  a  small  piece  of  cheese  for  lunch.  Then  he  had 
another  mental  spasm.  The  idea  of  acid  for  him!  and  cheese!  why,  that 
would  bind  his  bowels  tighter  than  ever.  I  denied  that  anything,  except 
quantity,  in  the  way  of  food,  is  binding,  and  he  followed  instructions  with 
the  finest  results.  Doctors  do  not  get  all  their  wisdom  in  the  medical 
colleges ;  some  of  it  is  absorbed  from  the  laity,  and  his  ignorance  is  a 
specimen. 

After  the  light  suppers  we  prescribe  lemon  juice  in  water  at  bedtime. 
This  is  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  the  work  of  digestion,  cleaning  out  the 
liver,  kidneys,  etc.,  and  to  get  the  gastric  juices  ready  for  breakfast.  If 
they  are  ready,  the  appetite  will  be  present.  If  they  are  not  ready  we 
advise  against  eating.  "But,,,  someone  says,  "How  about  working  on  an 
empty  stomach?"  We  do  not  allow  such  patients  to  work;  but  they 
would  better  work  on  an  empty  stomach  than  on  a  full  one  that  is  not  in 
working  order.  In  a  very  few  days  we  have  aroused  the  liver  and  digestive 
apparatus,  when  we  proceed  with  a  list  patterned  after  the  following : 


MORNING. 

NOON. 

NIGHT. 

Orange. 

Mutton  chops. 

Chicken. 

Applesauce. 

Corn  bread. 

Stewed  tomatoes. 

Toast. 

Cranberry  sauce. 

Brown  bread. 

Poached  eggs,  salted. 

Buttermilk. 

Water. 

Berries. 

Sliced  tomatoes. 

Fruit. 

Bread  and  butter. 

Brown  bread. 

Fish. 

Ham. 

Pork  tenderloin. 

Peas. 

Peas. 

Lemonade. 

Toast. 

Coffee. 

Milk. 

Cantaloupe,  salted. 

Veal  cutlet. 

Fruit. 

Berries. 

Cranberries. 

Vegetable  soup. 

Fried  corn  meal  mush. 

Medium  boiled  eggs. 

Chicken. 

Tea. 

Brown  bread. 

Corn  bread. 

0 

Milk. 

Tea  or  coffee. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Ham  and  eggs. 

Chicken. 

Sliced  tomatoes. 

Brown  bread. 

Beans. 

Cheese. 

Milk. 

Stale  bread. 

Brown  bread. 

/ 

Lemonade. 

Water. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Cold  chicken. 

Fish. 

Mock  turtle  soup. 

CLINICAL  PORTION. 


149 


Stewed  peas. 

Cabbage  slaw. 

Egg  plant. 

Corn  bread. 

Eggs. 

Lettuce. 

Coffee. 

Coffee  or  tea. 

Bread. 
Milk. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Medium  boiled  eggs, 

Nuts. 

Fish. 

Toast  broken  in. 

Ham. 

Sliced  tomatoes. 

Mutton  chop. 

Cauliflower. 

Corn  bread. 

Water. 

Peas. 

Milk. 

Tea. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Pork  chops. 

Fish. 

Mush  and  milk. 

Cheese. 

Succotash. 

Stale  bread. 

Brown  bread. 

Lettuce. 

Apple  sauce. 

Coffee. 

Lemonade. 

Coffee. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fish. 

Cheese. 

Oyster  soup. 

Corn  bread. 

Chicken. 

Cauliflower. 

Stewed  tomatoes. 

Vermicilli. 

Peas. 

Coffee. 

Milk. 

Brown  biead. 
Tea. 

1 

1 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Fruit. 

Game. 

Beefsteak. 

Cheese. 

Eggs. 

Peas. 

Poached  eggSv 

Oysters. 

Tomatoes. 

Brown   bread. 

Milk. 

Bread  and  butter. 
Lemonade. 

Milk. 

Fruit. 

•  Fruit. 

Vegetable  soup. 

Turkey  or  duck. 

Sardines  or  salmon. 

Cold  turkey  or  duck 

Cheese. 

Brown  bread  toast. 

Cauliflower. 

Sliced  tomatoes. 

Milk. 

Corn  bread. 

Coffee. 

Tea. 

V 

If  everybody  minded  his  own  business  gossip  would  be  unknown. 

There  are  very  few  real  students  in  the  world,  and  they  make  mighty 
little  noise. 

"The  weight  of  opinion"  has  suppressed  many  a  good  thing.     It  has 
also  supported  lots  of  things  it  should  have  killed. 


jcq  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

CLINICAL  HINTS. 

Have  a  private  office  and  when  admitting  friends  and  relatives  of 
patients  have  the  seat  they  are  to  occupy  screwed  to  the  floor.  Never 
have  more  than  one  extra  person  in  at  a  time  and  have  a  strict  understand-' 
ing  at  the  beginning  that  they  are  not  to  speak  unless  spoken  to,  explain- 
ing that  the  nervous  system  is  a  delicate  thing  which  is  liable  to  go  + 
or  —  from  causes  produced  by  the  operator,  to  say  nothing  of  outside  in^ 
terference. 

It  pays  to  have  a  large  and  cheerful  reception  room  with  magazines 
and  papers  for  the  entertainment  of  guests  and  patients,  and  a  neat  recep- 
tion girl  to  receive  them. 

Spend  less  time  in  your  own  reception  room  than  anywhere  els 2.  If 
not  busy  with  patients  your  work  room  is  your  place  during  work  hours. 

Free  consultation  is.  proper,  but  limit  it  to  fifteen  minutes,  during 
which  you  can  make  an  estimate  of  the  case,  state  the  amount  of  your 
fee,  and  how  it  is  to  be  paid;  require  a  portion  of  it  paid  at  once  to 
bind  the  appointment  for  the  examination,  stating  to  the  patient  that  you 
have  been  compelled  to  make  this  arrangement  to  apply  to  all  equally  for 
two  reasons:  First,  to  insure  promptness  in  keeping  the  appointment; 
second,  because  some  people  will  make  an  appointment  when  they  know 
they  cannot  pay  the  fee  and  do  not  want  to,  hence  have  no  intention  of 
keeping  it. 

Have  a  distinct  understanding  that  when  you  take  a  case  and  have 
specified  the  time  they  are  to  be  in  your  care,  the  patient  having  agreed, 
you  will  tolerate  no  interference  or  suggestions  from  relatives,  alleged 
friends  and  others  commonly  known  as  "buttinskies." 

Impress  the  patient  that  you  expect  to  be  frank,  concealing  no  detail, 
taking  it  for  granted  he  or  she  is  honest  in  a  desire  for  health  and  intelli- 
gent enough  to  know  that  strict  obedience  to  instructions  is  an  absolute 
essential  that  Nature  may  cure,  hence  any  neglect  must  not  be  charged 
to  you  unless  you  are  the  guilty  one. 

When  a  patient  attempts  to  argue  or  to  persuade  you  to  change  your 
methods  to  suit  his  convenience  after  you  have  made  ?n  analysis  and  found 
what  is  necessary,  show  the  risk  that  both  of  you  assume  by  it,  and  explain 
that  these  calculations  are  not  the  fads  of  a  school  of  medicine,  but  are 
direct  from  infinity.  If  any  fail  to  see  the  point,  dismiss  them;  they  are 
breeders  of  trouble. 

Omit  nothing  in  the  examination  that  will  give  you  information  con- 
cerning the  mentality  or  physical  body,  from  eye  strain  to  corns.  Be 
particular  to  examine  the  nose  and  ears  for  catarrh;  the  lungs  for  the 
habit  of  breathing ;  the  heart  for  the  best  index  to  the  involuntary  current, 
except  possibly  the  static  test;  the  stomach,  liver,  etc.,  by  questions,  and 
occasionally,  but  rarely,  a  digital  examination  of  the  uterus  and  rectum. 


CLINICAL  rORTION. 


151 


The  average  heart-beats,  forward  and  back,  in  the  adult  are  about  80 
per  minute;  in  children  they  are  somewhat  more  frequent,  and  in  the  aged 
are  slower.  Therefore,  when  we  find  a  grown  person's  heart  running  rap- 
idly it  indicates  irritation  of  the  nerve  supply,  and  if  we  find  that  of  a  child 
running  slowly  it  suggests  weakness  or  an  unusual  slowness  for  physiolog- 
ical reasons;  such  children  are  usually  termed  phlegmatic,  opposed  to 
nervous.  When  the  heart  is  unusually  slow  or  rapid,  keep  the  ear  to  the 
chest  for  several  minutes  to  see  that  the  rhythm  is  perfect,  which  is  the 
main  thing.  The  very  rapid  hearts  often  drop  a  beat  in  five  or  ten  and 
usually  begin  strong  and  taper  down  until  they  drop  a  beat;  those  a«*e 
positively  not  mitral  valve  troubles,  nor  do  they  involve  any  of  the  valves 
of  the  heart  as  causative  factors.  The  whole  trouble  is  in  the  weak  nerve 
supply,  as  may  be  readily  proved  by  having  the  patient  lie  flat  on  a  table 
or  the  floor  for  ten  minutes.  The  cause  of  the  nerve  weakness  may  be  in 
one  of  many  departments. 

After  taking  the  data  upon  which  your  prescription  is  to  be  based, 
unless  the  case  is  a  very  simple  one,  take  a  day  to  figure  it  out,  in  the 
meantime  requiring  absolute  rest,  and  it  is  not  a  confession  of  incompe- 
tence to  repeat  some  tests  on  a  second  visit.  It  is  easy  to  explain  to  the 
patient  by  showing  the  sheet  upon  which  the  calculations  were  made  that 
this  is  part  of  our  method  of  procedure  which  enables  us  to  be  sure  we 
are  right. 

The  matter  of  diet  should  be  figured  out  by  taking  the  principal  things 
they  have  been  eating,  casting  up  the  points  of  carbon,  nitrates,  phosphates 
and  water  and  preparing  the  diet  so  that  the  figures  reverse,  to  whatever 
extent  we  deem  necessary  ;that  is,  if  what  they  have  been  eating  runs  four 
points  carbon  to  one  or  two  points  nitrates  and  phosphates  combined,  we 
make  the  change  at  first  so  that  there  will  be  two  points  of  nitrates  and 
phosphates  to  one  of  carbon,  explaining  to  the  patient  that  from  time  to 
time  the  proportion  of  carbon  should  increase,  but  never  should  be  allowed 
to  get  as  high  as  it  was. 

Children  and  old  people  require  more  delicate  handling  mentally  and 
physically  than  those  between  20  and  30,  because  the  children  are  not  yet 
matured  and  old  folks  are  on  the  decline.  Of  course  there  is  a  difference 
in  individual  cases,  even  in  those  classes. 

After  the  age  of  fifty  if  everyone  would  cut  out  starchy  foods,  sweets, 
such  as  pastry  and  all  breakfast  foods,  subsisting  largely  on  nuts  and  vege- 
tables in  summer,  with  occasionally  smoked  meats,  fish,  and  with  a  mod- 
erate amount  of  other  meat  in  winter,  they  would  come  as  near  having  the 
elixir  of  life  as  has  yet  been  discovered. 

Walking  is  better  exercise  than  a  gymnasium  or  than  riding.  Swim- 
ming is  doubly  dangerous  for  two  reasons:  first,  the  danger  from  drown- 
ing, from  cramps,  etc. ;  second,  too  much  of  it  tends"  to  weaken  the  system, 


152 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


as  does  also  tub  bathing.  A  little  splash  and  rub  down  every  day  in  water 
neither  hot  nor  cold  is  simple  cleanliness.  But  few  constitutions  are  able 
to  stand  cold  plunges  in  the  morning,  especially  very  stout  people  and 
others  suffering  from  debility.  The  Turkish  bath  once  or  twice  a  week 
would  kill  the  devil  in  two  years.  It  is  the  nearest  a  literal  hell  that 
humanity  can  be  assigned  to.  I  have  never  seen  a  healthy  person  among 
all  who  are  addicted  to  them. 

Never  forget  to  wash  the  hands  with  soap  and  water,  rinse  them  and 
clean  the  finger  nails  before  beginning  work  on  a  patient.  The  odor  from 
sweaty  hands  is  offensive.  After  a  patient  has  left  the  operating  room 
open  a  window  and  spray  a  little  perfumed  water  about. 

In  prescribing  temporary  lenses  for  neurasthenics  in  whom  fogging 
causes  nausea  remember  they  are  mentally  as  well  as  physically  weak,  and 
reduce  the  fog  to  the  comfort  point,  but  keep  it  as  strong  as  you  can.  Fog 
all  others  20/80,  or  even  more,  because  they  are  not  nearly  as  liable  to  look 
over  the  glasses  as  if  you  gave  them  20/30  vision,  and  their  distant  vision 
will  be  almost  as  good,  while  it  is  still  a  constant  reminder  of  the  doctor's 
orders. 

Beware  of  prescribing  cylinders  when  they  are  —  .50  or  1 — .75  or  less. 
The  way  to  get  around  it  is,  after  proving  say  a  —  .75  ax.  180,  slip  it  off, 
hold  it  in  one  hand  and  have  a  —  .25  sphere  in  the  other,  the  patient  look- 
ing at  the  test  card;  hold  the  cylinder  in  front  first,  then  take  it  away 
and  try  the  sphere;  if  vision  is  not  so  good,  compare  the  cylinder  with  a 
—  .50  sphere,  if  vision  is  best  with  the  cylinder,  leave  it;  if  best  with  the 
sphere,  cut  out  the  cylinder  and  reduce  the  +  sphere  accordingly.  If 
there  is  no  +  sphere  in  the  combination,  the  rule  will  work  just  as  well 
in  the  matter  of  substituting  the  sphere  for  the  cylinder.  In  other  words, 
theoretically,  if  a  cylinder  is  correct  it  ought  to  give  as  good  or  better 
vision  than  a  —  sphere  of  the  same  strength,  and  the  fact  that  practically 
in  the  amounts  below  one  diopter  it  rarely  gives  better  vision  than  a  sphere 
.25  or  .50  weaker  is  ample  proof  of  the  doubtfulness  of  weak  cylindrical  cor- 
rections. The  fact  that  such  patients  see  a  difference  in  the  radiating  lines 
of  the  astigmatic  chart  without  the  cylinder  has  no  influence,  unless  the 
patient  is  going  to  do  such  work  as  would  involve  such  lines,  and  if  he 
has  been  doing  that  work  his  vision  will  be  so  sensitive  that  he  will  never 
let  us  substitute  the  sphere  in  the  first  place. 

Remember  that  presbyopia  should  not  begin  in  emmetropes  unti1 
between  forty  and  fifty,  and  in  hyperopes  not  until  between  forty-five  and 
fifty-five,  hence  when  we  find  one  under  the  minimum  age  who  seems  to 
require  reading  glasses  it  is  evidence  of  a  nervous  deficiency  which  should 
be  rested,  dieted,  etc.  Particularly  with  reference  to  hyperopes  under 
forty-five  who  have  say  1.00  D.  or  more  error,  but  who  have  not  worn 
glasses,  and  insist  they  only  want  them  for  reading,  we  explain  that  while 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


153 


they  might  be  reasonably  comfortable  with  such  glasses  for  a  while  they 
are  breeding  trouble  as  certain  as  death  or  taxes,  and  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten  it  begins  at  once,  because  the  nerve  supply  being  exhausted  when  the 
reading  glasses  are  put  on  and  the  inco-ordination  remaining  between  ac- 
commodation and  convergence,  comfort  is  almost  an  impossibility.  Some- 
times we  make  a  concession  to  such  people,  which  is  to  give  them  the 
glasses  they  should  wear  constantly,  which  of  course  will  be  some  help 
for  reading,  and  after  explaining  the  above  described  situation,  tell  them 
when  they  find  these  are  not  comfortable  or  are  irritable  that  it  is  a  mes* 
sage  from  Nature  telling  them  they  must  wear  them  all  the  time. 

Never  make  bifocals  for  myopes,  except  possibly  in  a  rare  case  w! 
the  distant  glass  is  —  .50  or  —  .75,  because  in  the  higher  amounts  the  pris- 
matic effect  is  unpleasant  on  account  of  chromatic  aberration.  In  making 
bifocals  for  others  the  scale  for  cements  should  be  13  mm.  high,  15  mm. 
long,  1  mm.  up  from  the  lower  edge  of  the  lens;  they  may  be  set  in  a  little, 
say  2  mm.  toward  the  nose  to  suit  the  convergence  while  using  them. 

The  pupil  distance  in  glasses  for  hyperopes  should  be  a  trifle  narrow 
than  otherwise,  because  they  are  going  to  use  them  near  and  far,  while  for 
myopes  they  may  be  made  full  width. 

Hook  temples  for  glasses  should  be  made  long  enough  so  that  the  tip 
is  just  concealed  behind  the  lobe  of  the  ear.  Then  there  is  no  irritation 
from  the  pressure  of  the  temple  which  is  sometimes  very  annoying  if  they 
are  made  too  short. 

* 

In  cases  where  the  eyes  differ  so  much  that  one  has  been  used  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  other,  or  when  there  are  oblique  axes,  the  discomfort  pro- 
duced at  first  is  so  great  that  it  may  even  cause  sea-sickness.  This  should 
be  explained  previously  so  that  the  patient  will  not  become  frightened,  and 
we  should  insist  upon  their  sticking  to  them,  when  the  trouble  will  be  over 
in  a  few  days,  while  otherwise  it  would  last  for  weeks.  The  oculists  who 
have  perpetrated  books  call  this  the  point  of  toleration  and  advise  against 
prescribing  for  such.  Toleration  of  drugs  is  one  thing  and  of  mechanical 
apppHances  another. 

In  working  on  cross-eyes  when  the  patient  complains  of  seeing  double 
we  know  they  are  coming. 

Sometimes  in  simple  cases  of  hyperopia  the  patient  returns  in  two  or 
three  days  with  a  frightful  looking  case  of  congestion  of  the  conjunctiva, 
for  which  there  may  be  two  causes  or  a  combination  of  both:  first,  they 
may  have  caught  cold  and  congestion  centered  in  the  eyes  because  it  was  a 
weak  spot  and  offered  the  least  resistance  to  the  current,  or  the  circles  of 
diffusion  at  the  retina  caused  by  the  lens  and  accommodation,  from  the 
myopia  thus  created,  but  the  controlling  center  having  been  accustomed 
to  turning  on  the  power  for  circles  of  diffusion  tackled  this  one  and  the 
results  are  plain.  Reassure  the  patient  by  making  a  drawing  showing  the 
story ;  have  him  go  home  and  rest  a  day,  using  salt  water,  when  he  will  be 
all  right 


-j-  rA  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

In  prescribing  applications  for  the  eyes,  remember  that  cold  contracts 
and  heat  relaxes,  therefore,  hot  water  compresses  are  to  be  applied  in  cases 
of  tonic  spasm  with  pain.  It  would  do  no  harm  to  salt  it  except  that  salt 
is  an  astringent,  hence  would  have  a  tendency  to  counteract  the  action 
of  the  warmth,  especially  in  the  conjunctiva,  through  which  part  of  the 
excess  blood  from  the  ciliary  body  finds  its  way  to  the  veins  of  the  face. 
Sometimes  hot  water  does  not  accomplish  the  desired  effect  in  a  reasonable 
time,  say  an  hour,  then  we  alternate  with  cold,  but  not  ice  water. 
Another  case  in  which  we  use  hot  water  is  when  there  is  suppuration,  the 
lids  stick  together  and  a  wax  forms  among  the  lashes ;  hot  water  will  dis- 
solve this  wax,  which  is  impervious  to  the  cold.  It  should  be  used  with  a 
soft  cloth,  and  five  minutes  to  each  eye  will  make  it  perfectly  clean; 
then  apply  cold  salt  water  compresses  for  the  purpose  of  cooling  the  tem- 
perature and  for  forcing  the  blood  from  the  veins  by  contracting  the  nerves 
both  from  the  cold  and  astringent  effect  of  the  salt,  while  the  latter  also 
antisepticizes  the  membrane  and  takes  the  gum  out  of  the  lachrymal  fluid. 
In  very  bad  cases  of  ulceration  of  the  ocular  conjunctiva,  or  granulation 
of  the  palpebral  portion,  they  should  be  freely  sprayed  from  an  atomizer 
containing  strong  salt  water,  neither  hot  nor  cold,  about  four  times  a  day, 
a  few  good  shots,  one  squarely  against  the  eyeball,  one  under  the  upper 
lid  and  one  on  the  under  lid.  The  two  latter  may  be  made  at  one  dash 
and  should  be  directed  toward  the  nasal  canthus;  then  following  this  the 
patient  should  lie  down  and  apply  the  cold  salt  water  compress  for  a  half 
hour.  One  of  the  treatments  should  be  at  bedtime,  another  the  first  thing 
in  the  morning. 

In  epilepsy,  chorea  or  other  nervous  exhibits,  remember  they  are  not 
diseases,  and  the  fact  that  drugs  have  failed  in  curing  them  proves  that 
they  must  be  from  mechanical  causes,  as  that  is  the  only  classification 
left.  It  is  true  that  under  such  conditions  the  chemistry  of  the  stomach  will 
be  imperfect,  and  while  many  of  the  attacks  come  on  after  eating,  still  it 
is  more  mechanical  than  chemical  even  then,  because  they  always  have  the 
fits  in  such  cases  just  after  overloading  the  stomach,  thus  proving  that  it 
is  quantitative  rather  than  a  qualitative  proposition.  Of  course  we  look 
after  the  eyes  among  others  things,  and  we  may  safely  devote  more  atten- 
tion to  mechanics  even  though  as  a  matter  of  course  we  watch  the  quality 
as  well  as  quantity  of  food. 

Cataracts  are  opacities  of  the  crystalline  humor.  They  appear  in  dif- 
ferent forms,  both  to  patient  and  operator.  Sometimes  the  patient  says 
it  appears  as  though  he  was  looking  through  a  spider  web;  again,  vision 
will  gradually  become  hazy ;  again,  there  will  be  a  distinct  spot  constantly 
in  the  field  of  vision,  a  good  point  in  advertising  is  to  suggest  that  the* 
reader  cover  one  eye  and  then  the  other  and  see  if  vision  is  equally  good 
near  and  far,  because  many  people  could  be  saved  from  bad  results  if  they 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  155 

discovered  the  difference  in  time.  To  examine  an  eye  for  cataracts  have 
the  patient  in  a  reasonably  dark  room  (not  too  dark)  long  enough  to  get 
a  dilation  of  the  pupil,  then  take  an  ophthalmoscope  or  retinascope  and  if  a 
good  red  reflex  can  be  seen  from  a  distance  of  ten  or  twenty  inches  it 
proves  there  is  no  cataract.  Then  take  the  ophthalmoscope  by  the  direct 
method,  whether  you  get  a  red  reflex  or  not  by  the  first  test,  and  if  you  can 
see  blood  vessels  it  is  not  a  cataract.  Before  doing  either  of  the  above,  if 
the  opacity  is  plainly  visible,  take  a  -j-  16.00  or  -j-  20.00  lens  in  each  hand 
and  illuminate  the  cornea  obliquely  from  the  side  with  one  of  the  lenses, 
and  if  the  opacity  is  in  the  cornea  it  will  be  exposed.  If  the  opacity  is 
rather  dim,  use  the  other  lens  to  magnify  and  make  it  clear.  If  the  opacity 
is  not  in  the  cornea,  but  is  in  the  lens  this  oblique  method  will  show  it 
lying  closely  behind  the  pupil.  Many  of  the  cataracts,  so-called  by  ocu- 
lists,are  simply  corneal  scars,  the  result  of  ulcers. 

The  use  of  prisms  as  a  treatment  for  cross-eyes  is  foolish,  for  so-called 
muscular  insufficiencies,  a  misdemeanor,  and  to  use  them  to  prevent  double 
vision  is  a  felony,  because  it  creates  cross-eyes.  Eyes  may  cross  up  or 
down,  in  or  out,  and  the  way  a  prism  prevents  double  vision  is  by  practice 
cally  excluding  one  eye  so  that  a  so-called  single  vision  is  with  the  other 
alone  and  is  not  binocular. 

Some  very  sensitive  people  occasionally  complain  of  seeing  every  ob- 
ject with  a  sort  of  spot  in  the  center,  particularly  small  objects  like  letters, 
and  sometimes  they  explain  that  there  appears  to  be  two  objects,  the 
ghost  on  top  of  the  real.  A  young  lawyer  of  Chicago  came  complaining 
of  this  symptom  and  said  that  a  prominent  oculist  had  made  an  examina- 
tion and  told  him  he  had  had  a  hemorrhage  in  his  left  eye  which  left  a  spot 
of  extravasated  blood  which  caused  the  symptom.  Inasmuch  as  the  size 
of  the  retinal  field  occupied  by  the  image  of  a  small  letter  at  twenty  feet 
would  be  very  small  and  the  spot  of  blood  would  have  to  be  smaller, 
something  the  size  of  a  pin  point,  it  struck  me  that  the  doctor  was  either 
a  marvellous  man  or  liar,  and  when  the  patient  told  me  that  if  he  covered 
one  eye,  it  made  no  difference  which,  the  spot  disappeared,  I  became  firm 
in  the  latter  conclusion.  Then  he  demanded  an  explanation  from  me.  He 
was  the  most  highly  strung  nervously  of  all  the  patients  I  have  ever  had 
and  I  reasoned  that  it  must  be  a  case  of  anisometropia,  and  as  vision 
was  so  keen  with  either  I  suggested  that  possibly  he  had  .75  hyperopia 
in  one  eye  and  1.25  hyperopia  in  the  other  or  1.00  in  one  eye  and  1.50 
in  the  other  and  when  using  both  eyes  together,  accommodating  the  same 
amount  in  each,  it  left  one  under-corrected  .50  or  the  other  over-corrected 
.50  ,  which  would  be  just  sufficient  to  make  the  ghost  appear.  After 
explaining  this  proposition  to  a  class  I  used  him  as  a  clinic  and  found  .75 
hyperopia  in  one  eye  and  1.25  in  the  other  and  with  these  glasses  on 
Ihe  ghost  disappeared. 


156 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


The  last  paragraph  suggests  another  case  which  is  not  often  found. 
It  is  possible  sometimes  to  give  a  patient  pretty  good  vision  for  distance 
with  correction,  but  when  it  comes  to  the  reading  point  no  glasses  will 
help  and  if  the  accommodation  is  active  in  a  young  person  he  cannot  see 
to  read.  This  is  because  a  very  small  field  in  the  center  of  the  macula 
is  healthy  and  sufficiently  large  to  receive  the  small  image  of  distant 
objects,  but  immediately  outside  of  that  there  is  a  dead  space,  hence  the 
larger  images  of  near  objects  are  not  transmitted  to  the  brain.  Again 
a  case  may  be  found  where  distant  vision  is  bad  and  cannot  be  improved 
yet  the  patient  can  see  reasonably  well  to  read  even  without  glasses.  In 
this  instance  the  situation  is  reversed;  it  is  a  central  atrophy  with  a 
healthy  periphery. 

When  a  patient,  or  other  person,  happens  to  faint  in  your  presence 
or  have  any  kind  of  a  falling  fit,  be  careful  to  keep  the  body  horizontal, 
if  any  change  put  the  head  the  lowest,  and  apply  cold  water,  either 
sprinkle,  dash  or  use  wet  cloths.  A  bottle  of  strong  pleasant  perfume  is 
better  than  camphor,  ammonia  or  any  other  drugs.  A  sip  of  clear  water 
is  better  than  liquor  and  not  half  so  liable  to  strangle.  Manipulate  the 
arms  and  legs  a  little,  but  be  careful  not  to  worry  the  patient.  As  soon 
consciousness  is  restored  a  little  pinch  of  salt  or  a  swallow  of  lemonade 
will  settle  the  stomach.  In  the  convulsions  of  fits  do  not  undertake  to  hold 
the  patient  rigid,  but  just  keep  him  from  hurting  himself. 

By  way  of  illustrating  the  deviltry  of  prisms  we  have  the  following 
showing  the  relative  proportion  of  the  total  strain  to  the  original  impulse 
in  an  emmetrope  whose  convergence  was  irritated  to  the  amount  of  i.oo 
D,  with  a  40  prism,  and  a  hyperope  of  i.oo  D. 

Convergence  from  40  base  out,  L.    .50 

R.    .50    1.00  original  impulse. 
Automatic  accommodation,      L.  1.00 

R.  1.00    2.00  automatic  increase. 

3.00  total  damage. 
Increase  over  original  impulse,  200%. 
Effect  of  [hyperopia: 

For  accommodation,  L.  1.00 

R.  1.00    2.00  original  impulse. 
Automatic  convergence,  L.    .50 

R.    .50    1.00  automatic  increase. 
Negative  pull,  6th  N.,  L.    .50 

R.    .50     1.00  voluntary  increase. 

4.00  total  damage. 
Increase  over  original  impulse,  100%. 
The  old-fogy  idea  that  small  pupils  mean  spasm  and  large  pupils 
means  the  reverse  has  caused  the  death   of  many  persons  from   drugs 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


157 


administered  wrongly.  To  us  the  significance  of  the  size  of  the  pupil 
is  absolutely  nothing  unless  corroborated  in  other  directions.  A  small 
pupil  may  appear  in  a  debilitated  person  who  couldn't  raise  energy 
enough  to  have  a  spasm  if  he  were  paid  for  it,  and  a  large  pupil  is  very 
often  found  in  people  with  a  severe  tonic  spasm  because  the  nerve 
branches  operating  the  iris  were  put  out  of  action  by  the  ciliary  disturb- 
ance. 

In  cases  of  very  high  degrees  of  hyperopia,  say  6.00  D.  to  10.00  D.  we 
sometimes  find  after  getting  on  all  -f-  we  can  that  in  adding  for  reading 
it  takes  considerable  more  increase  of  power  than  the  reading  distance 
calls  for.  For  example,  we  have  found  +  6.00  and  have  to  add  -\-  4.00 
for  reading  at  13  inches.  Our  physics  tells  us  this  is  wrong,  so  increase 
the  +  6.00  to  -f-  7.00  and  find  the  patient  sees  as  well  at  a  distance  as 
with  the  +  6.00,  which  proves  once  more  that  the  Infinite  Creator  did 
net  make  a  mistake. 

Polyuria  is  not  indication  of  kidney  trouble  in  more  than  one-tenth 
of  the  cases  it  exhibits.  It  is  most  frequent  in  women  and  the  old  schools 
claim  it  is  proof  that  they  have  more  kidney  trouble,  when  as  a  matter 
of  fact  they  are  notably  free  from  it,  and  the  symptom  is  nearly  always 
due  to  a  stricture  of  the  muscular  structure  around  the  neck  of!  the  blad- 
der due  to  sympathy  with  the  accommodative  effort  caused  by  hyperopia. 

Similar  conditions  in  men  usually  mean  the  involvement  of  the  pros- 
tate gland  and  irritation  of  the  urethra,  which  is  about  eight  inches  long. 
In  these  cases  while  hyperopia  is  often  a  primary  factor,  sexual  excite- 
ment intensifies  the  trouble  and  may  cause  it  in  emmetropes.  The  after- 
effects are  incontinence,  emissions,  and  finally  impotence.  The  treat- 
ment for  prostatitis,  hydrocele,  varicocele,  urethritis,  gonorrhoea,  are 
all  the  same,  a  -j-  diet,  correction  of  eye  errors,  rest,  avoidance  of  liquor 
and  tobacco,  sexual  excitement  and  bougies.  A  fine-pointed  rubber  syringe 
may  be  introduced  one-half  or  three-fourths  of  an  inch  and  cool  salt  water 
injected  night  and  morning;  otherwise  let  it  alone. 

Pains  are  nearly  always  referred  to  a  point  comparatively  remote  from 
the  primary  cause;  thus  a  disordered  liver  will  cause  a  headache  ,and  the 
pressure  of  a  shoe  on  a  corn  will  irritate  the  entire  nervous  system.  But 
sometimes  pain  is  referred  to  the  seat  of  the  primary  cause  by  reflex  actioxi, 
as  for  instance  in  hyperopia  the  effort  to  overcome  it  by  accommodation 
produces  a  tonic  spasm  throughout  the  entire  system  and  the  pain  in  the 
eyeballs  is  from  the  secondary  irritation. 

Fever  is  not  an  excess  of  blood  heat,  but  it  is  a  general  or  local  irri- 
tation of  the  sensory  nervous  system  which  the  blood  is  unable  to  cool.  It 
therefore  follows  that  fever  is  always  a  product  of  a  mechanical  disturb- 
ance, even  though  that  action  was  a  product  of  chemical  reactions. 


158 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Sometimes  we  have  a  combination  of  fever  and  pain  from  chemical  and 
mechanical  causes;  thus  what  the  old  schools  commonly  call  gastritis  or 
inflammation  of  the  stomach  is  only  true  in  a  secondary  sense.  A  more 
apt  term  would  be  gastralgia,  because  the  slight  inflammation  is  only  inci- 
dental and  if  we  remove  the  cause  of  pain  the  inflammation  will  disappear 
magically.  In  this  case  the  cause  is  often  local  from  overloading  or  from 
improper  food  which  caused  chemical  reactions  to  be  imperfect,  fermenta- 
tion occurred,  gas  formed,  the  mechanical  action  was  interrupted,  hence  the 
pain. 

Hernia  or  rupture  of  the  peritoneum  is  treated  by  operation  or  by  the 
injection  method,  the  latter  being  the  best,  all  things  considered.  A  weak 
solution  of  carbolic  acid  is  used  hypodermically  and  the  patient  should  be 
kept  on  his  back  for  at  least  three  weeks.  First,  put  back  the  protruding 
gut,  then  create  an  irritation  by  two  or  three  injections  in  the  field  about 
the  opening,  allow  a  few  days  for  it  to  heal,  then  repeat  the  operation  and 
thus  increase  the  field  of  scar  tissue  in  area  and  thickness.  Two  weeks 
should  be  sufficient  to  accomplish  the  work,  and  allow  a  third  week  for  the 
final  healing.  The  patient  may  get  up  for  stools  to  void  urine  and  for 
meals. 

Metaphysically,  a  common  teaching  is  that  "an  honest  confession  is 
good  for  the  soul/*  Analysis  shows  this  to  be  a  rank  humbug  unless  the 
confession  be  confined  to  oneself.  There  are  cases  where  it  would  be  de- 
cidedly wrong  to  neglect  to  make  verbal  as  well  as  other?  amends  for  an 
injustice  done  to  another,  but  there  are  many  cases  in  which  a  confession 
would  be  misconstrued  either  through  ignorance  or  maliciousness  and  thus 
more  harm  be  done  to  both  parties  than  if  the  oral  part  of  the  amend  had 
been  omitted.  For  example,  a  man  may,  in  the  heat  of  passion  over  som? 
trivial  irritation,  by  his  wife,  give  expression  to  words  or  acts  that  in  cooler 
moments  he  decides  were  unnecessarily  harsh  and  feels  that  he  should 
apologize.  This  is  certainly  manly  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  he  should  in  those 
cool  moments  consider  the  disposition  of  the  said  wife  and  if  he  knows  that 
she  will  take  advantage  of  that  confession  to  humiliate  him  before  others 
or  to  recall  it  as  a  proof  he  is  wrong  in  some  other  matter  that  may  come  up 
subsequently,  he  would  better  let  her  remain  under  the  impression  that  he 
still  feels  he  was  right,  but  show  by  his  conduct  that  he  bears  no  grudge.  In 
other  words,  never  make  such  confession  to  a  person  whose  caliber  is  such 
that  it  will  cause  him  or  her  to  assume  a  false  superiority. 

In  questioning  patients,  do  it  deliberately,  and  form  the  habit  of  con- 
secutiveness ;  that  is,  begin  with  the  questions  regarding  memory,  etc., 
headache,  eyeaches,  toothache,  nose,  throat  and  ear  affections,  and  so  on 
down.  Never  ask  a  question  without  getting  an  answer ;  if  the  patient  re- 
fuses, close  the  conference.  If  you  ask  to  take  the  patient's  glasses  and 
he  folds  them  up  and  puts  them  in  his  pocket,  get  the  glasses,  then  delib- 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


159 


erately  lay  them  aside  without  looking  at  them  and  go  on  with  your  work. 
This  is  part  of  the  true  fogging  system. 

The  manual  treatments  that  we  give  are  merely  emergency  treat- 
ments and  only  incidental  to  instructions  to  the  patient  because  our  patients 
treat  themselves ;  we  are  only  the  consulting  doctors. 

Quite  frequently  we  have  for  patients  young  girls  from  the  age  of 
puberty  to  about  twenty  years,  whose  general  appearance  is  healthy  but 
who  complain  of  a  constant  tired  feeling,  and  the  examination  (ophthalmo- 
scopic), shows  a  very  great  lack  of  red  arterial  blood,  while  the  venous 
blood  may  not  be  off  color;  the  general  field  of  the  retina  will  be  quite 
pale,  and  sometimes  the  larger  veins  may  be  extra  dark.  Such  people  will 
confess  fainting  spells  or  at  least  attacks  of  nausea  and  faintness,  even  if 
there  is  no  swoon..  They  usually  suffer  from  dysmenorrhoea  and  often 
menstruate  every  three  weeks.  Occasionally  cases  of  the  latter  kind  are 
found  in  people  thirty-five  years  old,  but  such  usually  show  debility  in 
their  countenance. 

Boys  between  the  ages  of  twelve  and  fifteen  often  go  through  peculiar 
systemic  changes  similar  to  those  of  girls,  and  not  being  able  to  find  relief 
in  menstruation,  become  so  debilitated  that  they  do  not  regain  normal 
vigor  until  about  twenty,  unless  they  fall  into  our  hands  and  go  through  a 
regular  course. 

The  so-called  tobacco-heart  of  the  old  schools  is  not  due  to  tobacco, 
as  is  easily  proved  by  permitting  the  patient  to  continue  its  use  while  he 
takes  our  treatment.  Of  course  it  is  a  part  of  our  system  to  stop  exces- 
sive indulgence  in  any  bad  habit,  but  every  patient  has  more  than  one  cause 
for  his  troubles  and  if  we  take  care  of  all  the  rest  Nature  will  do  her  work 
in  spite  of  a  small  one  like  that.  However,  after  we  have  proved  it  was  not 
the  tobacco,  we  recommend  the  discontinuance  of  it  on  general  principles. 

A  fundamental  principle  of  our  system  is  moderation,  hence  we  do  not 
require  total  abstinence  from  anything,  but  teach  temperance. 

Working  people  who  are  patients  will  often  object  to  our  dietary,  say- 
ing that  the  quantity  is  insufficient  for  one  who  performs  manual  labor. 
We  reply  by  asking  him  how  he  knows.  He  will  say  then  he  believes  it. 
To  this  we  suggest  that  as  we  are  the  doctor  it  might  be  a  good  idea  for 
him  to  follow  our  instructions  and  find  out  whether  the  opinion  of  a  lay- 
man is  as  good  in  that  respect  as  ours.  We  explain  that  it  is  not  what  one 
eats  but  what  is  digested  and  assimilated  that  does  good.  We  tell  him 
that  the  very  fact  he  came  to  us  is  proof  that  his  own  ideas  are  not  very 
good  and  our  purpose  is  to  reduce  the  quantity,  change  the  quality,  and  in- 
crease the  variety  until  we  find  what  his  machinery  can  take  care  of,  and 
when  we  find  its  capacity  we  will  show  him  that  while  he  may  safely  take 
on  a  little  more  than  we  start  him  with,  he  will  get  better  results  from  our 


!6o  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

meager  diet,  which  is  very  far  from  the  starvation  point,  than  from  his  own 
practices. 

Children  who  are  growing  actually  need  more  food  than  grown  people ; 
first,  because  they  have  not  only  to  sustain,  but  to  build,  the  body ;  second, 
digestion  with  them  is  more  vigorous  unless  it  is  suspended  by  overload- 
ing, and  it  is  more  difficult  to  overload  them  to  that  point  because  the  mus- 
cular coat  of  the  stomach  is  more  elastic.  If  proper  attention  be  paid  to  the 
quality  of  their  food  there  will  be  a  more  even  distribution  and  a  greater 
return  from  the  amount  taken  in  the  building  up  of  the  nerve  and  muscle 
supply,  for  the  growing  child  needs  more  of  the  -f-  elements  than  it  does 
of  the  fat  making  ones,  and  with  these  supplied  he  will  soon  eat  regularly 
and  not  suffer  the  all-gone  feeling  a  half  hour  or  so  before  meals.  But 
provide  for  such  emergencies ;  let  him  have  an  apple  or  an  orange,  because  it 
will  not  affect  his  appetite. 

Some  very  hearty  eaters  complain  of  a  return  of  the  hunger  within  a 
couple  of  hours,  which  they  gratify  by  eating  some  more  and  then  have 
sour  stomach,  bloating,  etc.  The  alleged  hunger  is  not  hunger  at  all;  it 
is  simply  a  call  for  help  from  the  stomach  which  is  unable  to  disintegrate 
the  food  properly,  and  a  half  teaspoonful  of  salt  or  the  juice  of  a  lemon  in  a 
glass  of  water,  or  both,  will  furnish  the  elements  necessary  to  reinforce 
the  gastric    juices. 

As  to  instruments  for  making  eye  tests,  after  the  ophthalmoscope  I 
would  rather  have  a  dollar  stereoscope  than  all  the  phorometers,  opto- 
meters, etc.,  on  the  market.  It  is  made  upon  a  physical  principle  with 
prisms  base  in  that  proves  our  physiological  principles  with  reference  to 
the  meter  angle  of  convergence  caused  by  prisms  base  out  or  saved  by 
prisms  base  in,  and  in  case  of  tonic  spasm  exhibited  by  the  +  impulse  in 
the  static  test,  we  might  use  such  an  instrument  successfully  sometimes  in 
an  effort  to  break  down  the  spasm. 

A  platform  scale  is  a  necessary  part  of  a  neurologist's  armamentarium. 

Referring  to  the  eyes  and  their  exhibits  of  spasms,  we  have  two  kinds, 
clonic  and  tonic;  while  the  first  is  intermittent  and  the  second  constant, 
the  latter  being  only  a  more  intense  form  of  the  first,  it  may  be  understood 
readily  that  either  may  tend  toward  the  other  because  the  dividing  line  is 
not  established  like  a  pencil  mark.  For  example,  a  tonic  spasm  may  relax 
a  little  under  our  manipulation  and  thus  become  clonic,  while  another  case 
with  clonic  spasm  may  suddenly  become  tonic  while  we  work  on  it.  This 
may  even  go  so  far  that  the  static  test  will  show  a  +  impulse  before  cor- 
rection and  a  —  impulse  afterward,  or  the  reverse.  This  is  why  we  make 
the  static  test  twice.  Clonic  spasm  is  expected  in  all  cases  under  the 
presbyopic  age,  that  is,  under  about  forty-five  years  and  when  we  do  not 
find  it  at  least  moderately,  it  is  sufficient  proof  of  general  weakness  to  re- 
quire the  patient  to  stop  work.     A  moderate  amount  of  it  can  be  controlled 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  l6l 

by  our  systematic  methods,  mental  and  physical,  and  immoderate  amounts 
are  treated  the  same  as  tonic  spasm  because  they  are  bordering  on  thai- 
extreme  condition.  Such  cases  should  also  be  required  to  rest  unless  the 
dynamic  test  before  and  after  correction  guarantees  a  bountiful  nerve 
supply. 

While  it  is  against  the  principles  of  neurology  to  worry  a  patient  by 
long-continued  efforts  to  break  down  tonic  or  clonic  spasms,  yet  it  is  some- 
times possible  to  accomplish  it  quickly  by  moving  the  patient  closer  to  the 
test  card,  say  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  when,  everything  being  more  distinct,  his 
controlling  center  gets  a  better  grip  on  it  and  we  can  at  least  measure  and 
prove  whether  there  is  astigmatism;  then  after  reducing  the  spheres  until 
vision  is  what  it  should  be  at  the  distance  the  patient  is  seated,  if  the  static 
test  shows  a  -f-  impulse  we  increase  the  spheres  arbitrarily  according  to 
the  neurometer  instructions.  Sometimes  we  find  it  best  to  not  unfog  the 
patient  until  he  sees  quite  as  perfectly  as  he  should,  and  in  such  cases  when 
it  comes  to  adding  for  his  4-  impulse  we  must  allow  about  -f-  .25  for  the 
amount  already  on. 

Clonic  spasm  must  not  be  confused  with  neurasthenia,  as  it  is  liable 
to  be  on  account  of  one  exhibit,  that  of  seeing  better  one  moment  than 
another  with  the  same  lens ;  in  the  clonic  spasm  the  patient  may  change  a 
line  or  two  or  even  more,  but  what  he  sees  each  time  will  be  distinct,  while 
in  neurasthenia  vision  is  fairly  good  one  moment  and  the  whole  card  fades 
away  the  next,  while  a  sensation  of  nausea  or  faintness  will  be  admitted; 
also  the  neurasthenic  will  exhibit  this  feature  without  glasses. 

If  the  static  test  shows  a  —  impulse  it  is  either  neurasthenia  or  a 
clonic  spasm,  but  if  the  test  shows  a  +  impulse  we  would  always  class 
it  as  tonic  spasm  although  in  some  cases  we  might  be  able  to  push  it  over 
into  clonic  and  correct  the  error. 

Clonic  spasm  signifies  an  exceeding  irritation  and  very  likely  pyelitis, 
which  requires  rest,  for  two  reasons :  First,  the  possibility  of  local  damage 
from  adhesion  of  iris  and  lens  in  cases  where  the  pupil  is  small,  or  possi- 
bly from  infection  of  the  conjunctiva  or  retina;  second,  the  liability  of 
causing  cerebral  hemorrhages  from  interference  with  circulation  by  the 
general  spasm.  This  is  morel  liable  to  occur  in  persons  who  are  extraor- 
dinarily stout  and  who  have  reached  the  stage  where  they  are  highly  nerv- 
ous, because  the  walls  of  the  blood-vessels  are  weaker,  hence  more  liable  to 
rupture.  There  is  also  the  possibility  in  thin  people  of  cerebral  paralysis 
and  softening  of  the  brain,  or  paresis,  which  is  practically  the  same  thnig. 

Catching  a  spasm  at  work  is  one  thing  and  getting  control  of  it  is 
another.  As  we  know  the  symptoms  we  know  positively  when  we  have 
controlled  it  and  we  also  know  positively  when  we  have  not.  In  the  latter 
instance  we  fog  the  eyes  and  demand  rest  until  the  spasm  breaks,  or  if  we 


j52  neurology  and  metaphysics. 

allow  the  patient  to  continue  at  work,  which  we  should  not  do,  we  get  a 
written  contract  that  he  assumes  the  responsibility. 

The  static  test  may  show  orthophoria  from  a  tonic  spasm  in  the  6th 
nerves  as  well  as  the  3d,  but  in  such  cases  we  would  detect  it  by  the  pain 
intraocularly,  or  the  test  may  register  zero  from  a  reasonably  good  supply 
of  nerve  force  yet  the  case  develop  quite  a  clonic  spasm  during  the  lefrac- 
tion  test.  Such  cases  are  as  a  rule  easily  handled,  although  they  are  liable 
to  deceive  us  into  unfogging  too  much,  unless  we  watch  them  carefully. 

Don't  forget  that  myopes  are  very  liable  to  spasm  from  the  accommo- 
dation coming  automatically  with  extraordinary  convergence,  even  though 
they  show  zero  or  —  impulse  by  the  static  test.  The  possibilities  of  spasm 
in  myopes  of  high  degree  are  so  great  that  if  the  patient  is  seated  ten  feet 
from  the  card  without  being  able  to  see  it,  and  we  could  get  10/15  vision 
with  strong  lenses,  we  would  stop  them  at  10/80  if  they  had  never  worn 
glasses,  or  even  if  they  had  but  were  suffering  from  hyperopic  symptoms, 
unless  the  general  test  combined  showed  such  weakness  as  would  warrant 
giving  as  much  as  10/15  or  10/20,  and  even  that  must  be  supported  by  the 
fact  that  the  lenses  we  give  are  so  decidedly  weaker  than  the  ones  they 
have  been  wearing  that  it  is  a  clear  case.  It  is  nothing  for  us  to  steal  2  D. 
or  3  D.  from  the  —  corrections  of  the  average  oculist  or  optician  and  still 
leave  vision  as  good;  therefore  if  we  find  a  case  where  we  cannot  steal  as 
much  as  a  diopter  and  still  preserve  good  vision  we  steal  more  and  let 
the  vision  go. 

In  low  degrees  of  myopia  that  have  been  fitted  by  other  people,  know- 
ing their  failings,  we  sail  in  to  get  +  on,  and  in  these  cases,  which  are 
decidedly  the  worst  of  all  we  have  to  deal  with,  because  they  are  liable 
to  have  a  tonic  spasm  yet  dodge  all  tests,  we  waste  no  time  but  fog  to  20/80 
or  20/120.  An  interesting  thing  about  these  cases  is  that  while  vision  may 
be  as  bad  as  20/60  with  the  naked  eye  we  often  get  al  +  2.00  on  and  vision 
be  as  good  as  20/120,  and  we  finally  get  as  much  as  a  -f-  1.50  cylinder  or 
+  1.00  sphere  -f-  1.00  cylinder,  where  the  other  fellow  has  —  1.00  or  — 
1.50  cylinder,  and  we  sometimes  get  simple  -f-  spheres,  -j-  1.50,  where 
they  have  been  wearing  —  1.00  cylinders. 

Having  adopted  the  eyes  as  the  gauges  of  the  body,  and  utilized  them 
as  such  objectively  and  subjectively,  the  first,  macrosoopically  and  ophthal- 
moscopically,  the  second,  dynamically  and  statistically,  we  know  that  as  a 
rule  deep-set  eyes  or  bulging  eyes  with  a  low  nose  bridge,  vertical  wrinkles 
in  the  forehead,  etc.,  are  objective  symptoms  that  the  gauges  will  need  fix- 
ing. The  subjective  tests  are  equally  simple  when  understood,  and  much 
more  certain,  indeed  we  diagnose  objectively  and  analyze  subjectively. 
Dynamic  tests  of  the  gauges  mean  different  things  at  different  ages  and 
under  different  circumstances.  The  operator  must  be  very  familiar  with 
these  facts  and  know  why  the  facts  are.    For  example,  children  under  ten 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  1 63 

years  of  age  rarely  show  any  more  power  by  the  dynamic  test  than  those 
of  that  age,  for  two  reasons,  first :  the  eyes  do  not  develop  full  growth  and 
power  until  about  the  age  of  ten  years;  second,  a  ten-year-old  can  reach 
the  limit  angle  of  convergence,  which  is  2  3/4  inches,  and  the  younger 
child  could  do  no  more,  hence  we  begin  our  figures  with  that  age  and  14.00 
D.  Between  ten  and  twenty  years  the  child  may  have  enough  accommoda- 
tion and  convergent  power  above  normal  to  overcome  its  hyperopia  and 
•come  to  the  normal  point,  but  when  we  put  on  the  correcting  -f-  lenses  it 
will  not  be  able  to  show  any  greater  power  than  before,  because  it  has 
reached  the  limit  angle  of  convergence,  but  we  know  that  it  has  more 
power  than  it  shows  with  the  lenses  because  it  came  to  the  same  point  or 
nearer  without  them.  Example:  Suppose  a  child  shows  12.00  D.  accom- 
modation by  coming  io  31/4  inches  without  glasses,  but  by  a  test  we  find 
hyperopia  of  2.00  D.,  we  know  that  in  order  to  come  to  3  1/4  inches  with- 
out glasses  it  must  have  been  accommodating  14.00  D.  and  we  give  it  such 
credit  even  if  it  can  show  only  11.00  D.  with  glasses  on.  If  such  a  case 
shows  an  increase  of  accommodation  after  correction  we  know  it  should 
not  be  able  to  do  so  were  it  in  good  condition ;  therefore,  it  becomes  a  symp- 
tom of  weakness  in  that  child  to  show  strength.  Above  the  age  of  twenty 
years  up  to  about  thirty-five  years,  the  near  point  recedes  beyond  the 
limit  angle  of  convergence  on  account  of  the  decrease  in  his  dynamic  facil- 
ities. We  make  the  test  before  correction,  then  expect  him  to  show  an 
increase  equal  to  the  amount  of  -f-  sphere  in  the  correction.  If  he  fails 
to  do  it,  watch  out  for  spasm,  and  if  he  shows  more  increase  than  he  should 
it  is  a  symptom  of  weakness  which  prevented  him  from  showing  as  much 
as  he  ought  in  the  first  place.  After  the  age  of  thirty-five,  when  his  near 
point  is  still  farther  away  and  his  dynamics  naturally  weaker,  we  expect  him 
to  show  an  increase  at  the  second  dynamic  test  two  or  three  times  as  great 
as  the  -f  sphere  in  the  correction,  until  between  forty-five  and  fifty,  when 
presbyopia  begins;  therefore,  if  he  fails  to  show  an  increase  it  tends  to 
throw  him  into  the  next  younger  class,  and  is,  therefore,  a  symptom  of 
strength,  or  it  may  be  one  of  many  symptoms  of  great  weakness.  The  way 
we  differentiate  the  complication  is,  if  a  big,  strong-looking  fellow  shows 
6.00  or  7.00  D.  accommodation  at  the  first  test,  we  know  he  is  extra  strong 
and  do  not  expect  any  increase  later,  but  if  he  starts  in  with  only  3.00  D., 
4.00  D.  or  5.00  D.  and  appears  to  be  presbyopic  after  correction  so  that  he 
accepts  addition  for  reading,  yet  is  below  forty-five  years  old,  we  take  it  as 
a  symptom  of  weakness  worth  more  than  a  half  dozen  symptoms  of 
strength,  and  we  order  rest  instead  of  adding  for  reading.  This  is  of 
course  subject  to  modification  if  the  patient  has  been  wearing  glasses  con- 
stantly and  the  nature  of  his  work,  habits,  etc.,  has  been  such  as  to  pro- 
duce presbyopia  prematurely. 

Briefly,  if  any  one  of  these  classes  show  symptoms  of  the  next  older 


164  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

class  it  means  weakness,  and  if  he  shows  those  of  the  next  younger,  it  means* 
strength.     Of  course  the  first  class  have  no  younger  class  and  can  go  wrong 
only  one  way,  while  the  middle  class  can  go  both  ways,  as  can  also  the 
third  class,  because  there  is  still  a  fourth  in  which  the  weakness  exhibited 
is  from  natural  presbyopia. 

There  are  other  ways  in  which  the  dynamic  tests  are  valuable,  which 
are  set  forth  in  the  neurometer.  First,  when  we  make  the  first  dynamic 
test  we  form  a  diagnostic  opinion  by  combining  it  with  the  general  appear- 
ance and  history  of  the  patient.  Thus,  if  a  child  under  twenty  years  shows 
only  6.00  D.  or  7.00  D.  accommodation,  we  know,  looks  or  no  looks,  that  it 
is  in  a  bad  fix,  but  if  it  shows  11.00  D.  or  12.00  D.,  when  we  think  it  ought 
to  show  14.00  D.  we  conclude  it  is  either  weak  or  is  overcoming  a  great 
deal  of  hyperopia,  and  it  amounts  to  a  symptom  of  weakness  in  either  case,, 
which  makes  us  wary.  Or.  if  we  find  7.00  D.  in  a  person  whom  we  think 
ought  to  show  10.00  D.,  it  is  a  caution  signal,  although  we  may  find  the 
patient  older  than  we  think,  and  if  we  do,  it  is  a  reassuring  symptom. 

Sometimes  as  a  matter  of  proof  of  our  system  we  first  take  the  dynamic 
test,  then  put  on  a  pair  of  -f-  3.00  spheres  and  repeat  the  test,  then  ask  the 
patient's  age.  From  this  data" we  proceed  to  figure  out  the  amount  of  error 
that  should  be  present.  Thus  a  case  showed  by  the  first  test  3  1/2  inches 
or  11.00  D.  Adding  -f-  3.00  D.  and  repeating  the  test  he  shows  2  1/2  inches 
or  16.00  D.  Subtracting  the  +  3.00  from  this  leaves  13.00  D.  to  be  credited 
to  him;  hence  if  he  had  13.00  D.  power  with  which  he  showed  only  11.00 
D.  he  must  have  been  overcoming  2.00  D.  hyperopia;  or,  after  finding  the 
13.00  D.  which  indicates  12  years,  6  months  by  the  neurometer,  we  added 
10  years  for  mentality,  which  brought  it  up  to  22  years,  6  months,  then  we 
asked  his  age,  which  was  29  years,  5  months,  8  days.  The  difference  be- 
tween this  and  22  years,  6  months,  equals  6  years,  11  months,  8  days.  The 
nearest  to  this  amount  shown  by  the  neurometer  is  6  years,  3  months  for 
J-75  hyperopia  or  7  years,  6  months  for  1.50  hyperopia.  We  chose  the 
former  because  it  is  nearer  to  the  result  of  the  short  calculation.  Hence 
by  one  calculation  we  found  he  should  have  2.00  D.  hyperopia  and  by  the 
other  1.75  D.  hyperopia.  Of  course  this  being  found  by  the  dynamic  test 
alone  was  not  as  reliable  as  if  we  had  completed  the  analysis,  nor  could  we 
find  astigmatism  by  this  method,  but  it  is  one  of  the  many  things  that 
go  to  make  up  the  proof  of  the  accuracy  of  our  methods.  A  complete  test 
of  this  case  found  2.00  D.  hyperopia. 

Another  dynamic  feature  in  symptomatology  is  found  in  the  reactions 
of  the  dynamics  during  the  refraction  test.  If  the  patient  sees  better  one 
moment  than  another  with  the  same  lenses,  or  if  he  improves  a  certain 
amount  with  a  —  .50  in  front  of  the  fogging  lens  and  then  requires  more 
than  that  to  improve  an  equal  amount  more,  clonic  spasm  is  indicated,  or 
if  he  improves  as  much  with  a  less  amount  of  lens  it  also  indicates  clonic 


CLINICAL  PORTION.  1 65 

spasm,  but  at  the  same  time  we  caught  it  on  the  reaction;  but  if  in  con- 
nection with  the  first  named  symptom,  that  is,  seeing  better  one  minute 
than  another  with  the  same  lens,  there  is  also  nausea  on  the  down  turn,  it 
signifies  general  weakness. 

Another  form  of  dynamic  test  is  developed  subjectively  by  cross- 
questioning.  If  a  patient  has  a  dry,  itchy  eye  or  difficult  urination,  or  dys- 
menorrhea, or  piles,  or  even  finds  it  difficult  to  swallow,  they  are  symp- 
toms of  irritation,  and  we  call  them  -j-  because  they  signify  sphincter  con- 
traction or  spasm. 

If  the  eyes  are  overflowing  with  tears  or  there  is  urinal  incontinence, 
or,  if  the  menses  are  too  frequent,  even  if  there  is  dysmenorrhoea,  or  if 
there  is  constipation  with  a  combination  of  other  —  symptoms,  we  know 
that  it  is  due  to  nervous  inability  and  that  there  is  danger  of  a  general 
paralysis. 

Acute  headache  means  spasm,  but  when  they  reach  the  stage  of  sick 
headache  it  means  exhaustion  of  the  general  supply.  Dull,  continuous 
headaches  indicate  an  overworked  liver  and  a  consequent  weakness  of  the 
nerve  supply;  but  this  symptom  is  rather  one  of  caution  and  a  suggestion 
to  remove  the  pressure  in  order  to  find  whether  it  is  genuine  weakness  or 
only  a  temporary  disability.  In  such  cases  as  this  it  is  best  to  demand  a 
good  fee,  because  while  it  may  be  temporary,  hence  quickly  repaired,  it  is 
just  as  liable  to  be  a  chronic  case.  Of  course  we  form  final  judgment  by 
the  general  appearance,  history,  static  tests,  and  the  final  analysis. 

The  first  static  test  is  that  in  which  we  delve  into  the  history  of  the 
case,  and  as  we  also  get  some  dynamic  information  from  the  history  we 
must  learn  to  separate  the  static  from  the  dynamic  symptoms  as  we  go. 
For  example:  A  patient  tells,  with  reference  to  his  occupation,  that  he 
does  certain  things,  and  the  fact  that  he  does  them  proves  that  he  must 
have  considerable  force  at  his  command,  but  when  we  ask  him  how  he  feels 
afterward  and  he  says  "It  knocks  me  out,"  it  becomes  a  static  symptom  of 
weakness  which  overbalances  the  other ;  then  the  two  together  form  another 
symptom  which  tells  us  that  his  mentality  is  a  dominating  element  which 
must  be  considered  in  the  final  calculation  in  figuring  his  age.  Of  course 
we  must  also  find  how  quickly  he  recuperates  after  these  excesses,  and  if 
for  instance  he  wakes  up  refreshed  the  next  morning,  it  is  a  -f-  symptom, 
while  if  he  is  still  tired  it  is  a  —  symptom. 

.  Again,  if  a  patient  does  not  report  doing  things,  but  on  the  contrary  is 
doing  practically  nothing,  yet  complains  of  a  constant  weariness,  it  is  a 
bad  negative  symptom;  this  is  particularly  true  of  young  women,  and  it  is 
quite  common  among  them ;  and,  for  the  reason  it  is  rare  among  young  men 
it  is  serious  when  we  find  it. 

Objectively  the  ophthalmoscope  is  a  static  test  by  which  we  ascertain 
the  nourishing  quality  of  the  blood,  knowing  that  the  arteries  should  main- 


j56  neurology  and  metaphysics. 

tain  about  80%  red  and  have  a  light  streak  down  the  center,  while  the  veins 
should  have  a  darker  shade  and  the  streak  be  fainter.  In  anaemia  the 
arteries  sometimes  appear  extra  pale  and  the  white  streak  occupies  2/3 
instead  of  1/3,  the  veins  appear  still  darker  and  the  contents  more  like  wet 
sugar ;  that  is,  there  will  appear  little  globules  or  sediment. 

Another  static  test  is  with  the  double  prism  and  red  light.  A  light 
being  placed  at  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  should  appear  as  three,  two  being  seen 
by  one  eye  and  one  by  the  other;  the  latter  should  be  in  the  middle  and  all 
on  a  vertical  line.  If  the  middle  one  is  out  of  line,  the  objects  seen  by  each 
eye  swinging  to  their  respective  sides,  it  proves  weakness,  no  matter  what 
the  dynamic  test  showed;  but  if  the  objects  swing  to  the  opposite  sides  it  is 
proof  of  spasm,  no  matter  what  the  dynamic  test  showed.  If  the  middle 
light  deviates  up  or  down,  alone  or  in  connection  with  the  out  or  in  turn,  it 
simply  means  a  complication  in  the  nerve  distribution,  which  always  means 
rest.  Of  course  this  test  is  repeated  after  correction  of  error,  and  if  the  — 
indications  are  still  present  it  increases  the  importance  of  the  symptom 
with  reference  to  the  final  prescription,  and  if  the  -f-  impulse  still  remains  it 
tells  us  we  have  not  the  full  correction  of  eye  error,  and  we  increase  it  as 
indicated  by  the  neurometer ;  if  the  up  and  down  turn  remains,  it  indicates 
rest  and  is  a  —  symptom  even  if  it  appears  in  connection  with  the  +  symp- 
tom when  the  lights  cross  over. 

The  greatest  and  most  far-reaching  symptoms  are  in  the  habits  and 
dietary;  the  former  because  they  teach  us  to  watch  everybody  and  note 
the  effects  of  dissipation,  mental  and  physicial,  and  the  latter  because  it 
affords  the  only  opportunity  for  exact  figures  on  the  situation  outside  of 
the  eye  figures,  and  we  have  in  this  a  greater  scope  because  we  not  only 
figure  present  conditions  but  future  ones,  while  the  eye  figures  enable 
us  to  tell  only  present  conditions  and  prospects  and  to  measure  the  progress 
of  the  case  as  we  proceed  with  it. 


Always  do  the  easiest  task  first. 

Jealousy  ranks  next  to  murder  in  my  estimation. 

It  is  really  wonderful  how  wonderful  a  man  has  been — after  he  is 
dead. 

It  is  better  to  do  many  good  things  and  not  be  discovered  than  to  com- 
mit one  bad  act  and  get  caught. 

A  born  teacher  can  not  help  it  any  more  than  the  other  fellow  can 
over-come  the  fact  that  he  was  born  the  other  way. 

There  are  always  two  sides  to  a  question,  and  it  is  the  other  fellow's 
side  you  want  to  hear.     You  can  gat  your  own  any  time. 

A  man  is  not  always  great  because  he  occupies  the  space  of  a  great 
man.  He  may  have  merely  fooled  some  people  into  the  belief  that  he  is 
great. 


CLINICAL   TORTION. 


167 


This  is  the  wife  of  a  Minnesota  doctor  who  not  only  had  a  divergent 
squint  but  had  been  given  up  to  die  from  tuberculosis.  She  had  not  done 
any  work  for  a  long  time.  After  six  months'  neurological  treatment,  she 
has  been  doing  the  housework  for  her  husband  and  six  children  over  a  year. 


1 68 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


The  lower  picture  of  these  two  shows  this  young  lady  as  she  was  two 
years  ago,  under  sentence  of  death  in  a  few  months  from  tuberculosis. 

The  top  picture  shows  her  as  she  was  when  she  was  told  she  would  be 
dead,  and  as  she  is  now. 

Six  eminent  Indianapolis  doctors  pronounced  her  doom. 

Three  months  of  neurology  made  her  strong  and  happy. 


CLINICAL   PORTION. 


169 


These  eyes  straightened  instantly.  The  pictures  were  taken  fifteen 
seconds  apart.  But  remember,  all  do  not  yield  so  readily.  It  sometimes 
takes  several  months.  Even  that  beats  operation  with  the  chances  that  go 
with  it.  A  little  daughter  of  the  deputy  sheriff  at  Wooster,  Ohio,  was  giv- 
en an  anaesthetic  before  such  operation  and  she  died  before  they  could  op- 
erate. 

One  of  my  pupils  had  offered  to  do  the  work  for  $50  without  even  local 
anaesthetics  or  knife,  but  when  the  local  doctors  found  it  out  they  ridiculed 
the  idea  and  sent  to  Cleveland  for  an  alleged  oculist  who  murdered  her. 
Then  the  undertaker's  bill  was  added  to  the  doctors'  bills  and  the  little  girl 
is  no  more. 


170 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


This  case  of  cross-eyes,  after  running  thirty-six  years,  was  fixed  by  our 
methods,  without  knife,  scissors  or  pain  in  twenty  minutes. 


CLINICAL    PORTION. 


1?I 


These  pictures  were  taken  twenty  minutes  apart.  The  work  is  another 
specimen  of  what  neurology  and  ophthalmology  can  do  without  danger  of 
blood  poison. 


172 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


This  case  of  cross-eyes  was  straightened  instantly  by  one  of  our  boys. 
It  is  such  work  as  this  that  makes  the  old-school  cutters  want  laws  to  put 
us  out  of  business. 


CLINICAL  PORTION. 


173 


/ 


^ 


These  two  pictures  were  taken  a  week  apart.  Some  one  says,  "Oh !  but 
they  have  to  wear  glasses  all  the  time."  So  they  do  if  they  are  operated,  or 
the  eyes  will  soon  cross  again.  In  the  rare  cases  they  do  not  recross  there 
are  other  troubles  which  the  oculist  cannot  take  care  of. 


^74 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Here  is  a  little  girl  who  was  not  only 
cross-eyed,  but  her  disposition  was 
twisted  so  that  she  was  a  charge. 

These  pictures  were  taken  two 
weeks  apart,  hence  it  was  four  weeks 
from  the  first  to  the  last  and  her  moth- 
er reported  there  was  as  much  change 
in  her  disposition  as  appears  in  her 
face. 

An  operation  might  have  straight- 
ened the  eyes,  temporarily,  but  it  could 
not  have  touched  the  disposition,  be- 
cause glasses  are  not  nearly  all  of  the 
neurologist's  armamentarium. 

Neurology  isn't  any  old  thing  some 
cheap  imitators  choose  to  call  neurol- 
ogy- 


CLINICAL   PORTION. 


I75 


This  is  a  little  Indiana  lady  who  was  made  happy  by  our  methods,  in 
about  two  months.  Her  parents  objected  at  first,  and  the  old-school  doctors 
fought  for  operation  but  common  sense  won  the  victory. 


176 


NKI'UOLOGY    AND    METAFIIYSIC8. 


This  is  a  ten  minute  case,  and  was  done  by  a  progressive  man  who 
takes  "The  Ophthalmologist,"  from  which  he  learned  how  to  fix  cross-eyes. 
Some  day  he  may  learn  more  of  our  methods.  Possibly  from  this  book.  If 
I  could  have  him  with  me  personally  for  a  few  months  he  would  be  sur- 
prised at  the  things  he  could  do. 


CLINICAL   PORTION. 


177 


This  is  a  case  Drs.  Mayo,  of  Rochester,  Minn.,  one  of  whom  is  now  presi- 
dent of  the  American  Medical  Association,  failed  on.  One  of  my  boys  fixed 
her  in  a  month.    Dr.  Mayo  gave  her 

L.  -)-2.oo-|-2.oo  ax.  90 

R.  -f  .25+  .50  ax.  105 
My  lad  gave  her,  for  final  correction,  after  the  eyes  were  straight 

L.  -l~3.00-j-2.00  ax.  90 

R.  +1.75+  .50  ax.  90. 


1 78 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS 


The  little  girl  in  the  picture  on  the  left  was  seven  years  old,  eyes 
crossed  in  babyhood,  straightened  in  twenty  minutes. 

The  other  is  a  four-year-old,  eyes  crossed  three  years  and  came  all  right 
in  three  days. 


METAPHYSICAL  PORTION 


The  history  of  "Christian  civilization"  is  the 
bloodiest  of  all  histories. 

The  principles  of  Christianity,  as  expounded 
in  the  bible  and  exploited  by  the  preachers,  are  the 
duality,  a  bribe  and  a  threat, 

Christianity  and  medicine  are  the  only  two 
professions  -which  are  divided  in  themselves,  and 
the  christian  bible  declares  "a  house  divided  against 
itself  shall  fall." 

Christianity  and  Drug  Medicine  are  the  big- 
gest humbugs  the  world  has  ever  known. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION 


GENETIC  PSYCHOLOGY 


A  Philosophy  Supported  by  Tacts  Apparent  To-day  Instead  of  by  Myths 

of  Dead  Ages. 


Genetic  psychology  (beginning  of  mind)  offers  a  study  which  yields 
pleasure  and  peace  most  alluring  to  the  mentality.  It  brings  one  up  against 
facts  and  logical  conclusions.  It  does  not  revel  in  ghosts  or  dreams.  It 
breathes  no  threats.  It  is  not  dogmatic  nor  intolerant.  It  teaches  reason 
instead  of  superstition,  order  against  chaos,  argument  supplants  fire  and 
sword.  It  makes  no  demands  on  the  student  to  accept  as  true  that  which 
he  cannot  understand,  simply  because  it  is  beyond  his  comprehension.  It 
teaches  to  accept  the  positive  evidence  offered  to-day,  in  Nature,  rather  than 
the  traditions  of  primitive  ages. 

We  reason  positively  from  effect  to  cause  and  negatively  from  cause 
to  effect^  because  only  an  infinite  mind  could  know  in  advance  the  effect 
of  a  cause.  We  see  all  about  us  the  wonders  wrought  by  the  hand  of  man 
guided  by  his  mentality.  We  have  the  history  of  his  development  in  mod- 
ern times  and  the  folk-lore  of  the  ancients.  The  latter  is  largely  devoted 
to  how  the  leaders  kept  the  masses  in  subjection  by  miracles,  but  the  first- 
named  dare  not  attempt  such  absurdities.  We  are  accomplishing  new 
feats  almost  daily  so  much  more  wonderful  than  the  ancients  ever  dreamed 
of  that  the  greatest  wonder  is  there  are  still  those  who  prefer  to  cling 
to  superstitions  that  promise  heaven  to  those  who  pretend  to  believe 
and  eternal  torture  to  those  who  are  so  honest  with  themselves  they  re- 
ject the  proffered  bribe  and  ignore  the  threat. 

When  we  think  of  the  caves  of  our  ancestors  in  comparison  with  the 
homes  of  to-day ;  of  the  canoes  and  the  palatial  steamers ;  of  the  trackless 


xg2  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

forests  and  the  railways;  of  the  foot-messengers  and  the  telegraph;  of  the 
laborious  sign  records  on  pottery  and  the  perfecting  presses;  of  the  primi- 
tive spears  and  the  modern  battleships;  all  tell  us  a  story  of  progress,  of 
growing  mentality  that  only  the  malicious,  the  ignorant  or  the  insane 
could  subordinate  to  Jew  fables.  And  even  they  join  in  honoring  the  men 
and  women  whose  minds  have  enabled  them  to  achieve  all  that  is  in  evi- 
dence as  human  products. 

Then,  when  we  see  Nature's  work  on  every  side,  in  the  universe,  in 
the  day  and  night,  in  the  seasons,  in  the  storms  and  calm,  in  the  fruits  of 
the  soil,  in  the  beasts,  birds,  fishes  and  in  mankind,  it  sets  us  to  thinking 
backward  toward  the  cause,  thence  forward  toward  the  effects.  They  are 
two  great  problems,  too  great  to  be  settled  by  a  prayer  and  too  important 
to  be  farmed  out  to  men  whose  calibre  commands  only  a  few  hundred 
dollars  and  a  donation  party  annually.  We  have  the  examples  before  us? 
of  what  the  minds  and  hands  of  man  have  accomplished  and  it  is  only 
natural  that  we  conceive  that  other  minds  and  hands,  as  infinitely  greater 
than  ours  as  the  works  in  evidence  are  greater,  did  the  work,  and  are  at 
it  unceasingly.  It  may  even  be  one  mind  that  is  doing  it  all,  but  if  so  it 
must  be  an  almighty  big  one,  and  as  to  hands,  possibly  when  such  a  mind 
works  it  needs  no  hands.  Then  the  idea  comes  that  our  minds,  being  the 
infinite,  invisible,  undiscoverable  part  of  us  may  be  and  very  likely  are  an 
atom  of  this  universal  mind;  and  if  this  is  so,  we  should  let  it  work  along 
lines  consistent  with  the  master  mind  instead  of  polluting  it,  with  doc- 
trines conceived  by  mercenary  and  superstitious  people  who  existed  thous- 
ands of  years  ago. 

I  can  imagine  a  mind  so  much  greater  than  man's  that  it  has  existed 
from  a  time  so  long  past  that  this  earth  did  not  exist,  and  that  will  exist 
long  after  this  planet's  work  is  done — for  why  should  not  planets  die 
as  well  as  men?  I  can  imagine  such  a  mind  with  a  purpose  so  vast  that  our 
minds  and  purposes  only  compare  with  it,  as  a  grain  of  sand  compares 
with  the  earth  in  size.  I  can  imagine  that  what  we  call  troubles,  and 
some  call  judgments,  are  a  part  of  a  great  plan,  each  of  which  is  of  no 
more  consequence  to  the  plan  or  to  the  great  mind  than  the  rheumatism  of 
an  ant  is  to  our  minds.  I  can  imagine  that  our  minds  are  part  of  this  grot 
mind  and  that  as  we  cultivate  our  opportunities  they  may  be  more  active 
parts.  I  can  imagine  that  when  our  visible  bodies  die  these  parts  of  the 
great  mind  which  have  occupied  them  may  return  directly  to  the  great 
mind  which  pervades  everything,  or  it  may  be  utilized  separately  in  an- 
other form,  but  that  it  exists  so  long  as  the  great  mind  exists  is  a  reasona- 
ble proposition.  But  I  cannot  conceive  this  great  mind  in  the  form  of 
a  person,  subject  to  fits  of  temper,  creating  a  thousand  millions  stars,  suns 
and  moons,  to  be  subsidiary  to  this  planet,  the  inhabitants  of  which  he 
made  to  be  free  agents,  knowing  they  must  fall  into  sin  by  violating  his 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION. 


183 


personal  commands,  then  all  who  fail  to  seek  forgiveness — and  contribute 
to  the  support  of  a  priest — will  be  consigned  to  eternal  torture,  while  those 
who  are  "believers"  will  have  everlasting  life  and  happiness — but  they 
must  die  to  get  it.  I  can  conceive  the  primitive  minds  of  the  aborigines 
likening  the  infinite  to  their  own  mental  vagaries,  but  I  cannot  reconcile 
the  assumption  that  the  minds  of  to-day  are  subordinate  to  those  of  two 
thousand  or  five  thousand  years  ago.  I  can  see  consistency  in  the  compar- 
ison of  present  minds  with  those  of  the  ages  when  mankind  herded  in 
flocks  and  wore  skins  of  animals  instead  of  clothing  spun  and  woven, 
but  I  cannot  conceive  those  people  receiving  messages  from  a  personal 
god  and  handing  them  down  to  us  as  law,  when  it  would  be  so  much 
more  convenient  for  said  god  to  communicate  directly  with  the  superior 
minds  of  to-day.  I  can  imagine  why  an  infinite  mind  would  desire  to  keep 
in  constant  touch  with  its  workings  and  have  evidence  that  it  does,  day  after 
day;  but  I  cannot  conceive  why  it  would  give  a  law  unto  primitive  minds 
and  then  abandon  them  to  their  own  notions  while  continuing  to  guide 
the  rest  of  creation.  I  can  see  why  "dust  returns  to  dust,"  but  I  cannot 
understand  why  the  great  mind  should  send  part  of  itself  to  hell.  I  can 
conceive  a  reasonableness  in  discrediting  our  fellow  men  who  ask  us  to 
believe  assertions  without  offering  logical  evidence,  but  I  cannot  imagine 
an  excuse  for  believing  that  any  woman  ever  gave  birth  to  a  child  with- 
out following  the  natural  order  of  procreation,  or  that  any  people  who 
believed  the  earth  was  flat  and  tortured  those  who  discovered  it  was 
round,  should  be  accepted  as  authorities  in  other  matters,  temporal  or 
spiritual.  I  can  even  conceive  a  possible  beneficence  in  the  master  mind 
directing  that  the  finite  minds  should  be  semi-independent  of  itself,  but 
I  cannot  imagine  it  trusting  all  subsidiary  minds  to  any  one  or  any  thou- 
sand other  minds  any  more  than  I  can  conceive  one  dime  dominating 
other  dimes.  Therefore  that  part  of  the  infinite  within  me  inspires  a 
disregard  of  other  finite  minds  and  their  expressions  except  as  they  con- 
form to  the  inherent  conception  of  law  and  order  as  it  exhibits  in  my  own 
mind  consistently  with  other  things  in  evidence  over  which  the  finite 
minds  have  no  control. 

Genetic  psychology,  therefore,  may  be  said  to  be,  in  its  practical 
sense,  the  ability  of  each  individual  to  divest  his  mentality  of  the  fals^ 
notions  that  have  been  educated  into  it  with  reference  to  both  mind  and 
matter,  and  to  open  connection  directly  with  the  master  mind.  It  has 
been  a  difficult  task  for  me.  I  have  been  at  it  for  thirty  years;  but  to- 
day I  feel  as  free  from  the  fetters  of  superstition  as  I  do  from  the  hang- 
man's noose,  which  is  the  only  comparison  that  fits  the  case,  in  my  esti- 
mation.    The  one  is  as  disgraceful  to  me  as  the  other. 

In  the  beginning  was  mind. 

That  mind  was  law. 


1 84 


NEUROLOGY    AND   METAPHYSICS. 


That  mind  is  law  to-day. 

The  law  is  order. 

The  order  is  mathematics,  and  mathematics  is  represented  practically 
in  chemistry  and  mechanics.  The  former  stands  for  composition  and 
disintegration;  the  latter  stands  for  form  and  motion;  the  two  stand  for 
evolution  and  revolution. 

In  chemistry  when  we  combine  elements  there  is  a  change.  Some- 
times that  change  is  accomplished  peacefully;  at  other  times  it  is  done 
violently;  and  there  are  different  stages  of  violence.  This  typifies  Nature 
in  a  finite  way  and  tells  us  that  in  accomplishing  her  purposes  some  of  the 
evolutions  may  cause  no  perceptible  disturbance;  others  are  signalized 
by  lightnings  and  thunder,  by  cold  and  heat;  still  others  cause  the  very 
bowls  of  the  earth  to  vomit  and  change  the  shape  of  the  surface.  In  me- 
chanics we  see  inventions  work  with  such  nicety  that  we  render  homage 
to  the  inventor,  yet  in  a  remarkably  short  time  those  machines  wear  out 
and  go  to  the  junk  pile.  Shall  we  not  take  this  as  indicating  that  even 
the  planets  may  disintegrate,  and  that  the  shooting  stars  have  been  so 
far  reduced  as  to  lose  their  individuality  as  this  earth  may  possibly  do? 

As  greater  things  in  nature  than  mankind  reach  their  limit  angles 
and  lose  their  equilibrium,  causing  disorder,  at  least  temporarily,  it  is 
natural  that  mankind  should  pass  its  limit  angles  with  the  same  result. 
Therefore,  health  is  order  and  disease  is  simply  disorder. 

And  for  the  same  reason  that  the  man  with  the  stone  hatchet  framed 
our  theology,  the  medicine  man  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  or  other  wild  men, 
founded  the  dominant  system  of  treating  human  ills.  Both  forgot  or 
never  conceived  the  existence  of  an  infinite  mind,  hence  set  their  own  up 
as  the  infalliable  authority.  In  genetic  psychology  and  neurology  we  dis- 
miss this  as  peremptorily  as  we  do  the  other.  We  find  an  explanation 
of  physical  ills  in  the  departures  from  the  course  indicated  by  natural 
laws,  and  we  find  a  similar  explanation  of  the  mental  disturbances  indi- 
cated by  fits  of  temper,  melancholy,  etc.  We  know  that  a  nervous  sys- 
tem, strained  to  the  point  of  toleration,  exhibits  irritation  and  spasm,  and 
if  not  assisted  in  time  collapse  is  the  natural  sequel;  therefore  we  hold  it 
reasonable  that  a  very  small  particle  of  the  master  mind  detached  and 
made  semi-independent  under  the  influence  of  the  physical  body  and  the 
vagaries  of  other  minds  may  become  irritated  and  if  not  rescued  by  the 
master  mind,  possibly  assisted  by  other  finite  minds,  will  collapse  and 
leave  the  physical  body  in  an  involuntary  state  or  possibly  produce  its 
death,  which,  to  my  mind,  is  preferable. 

It  follows  as  a  logical  sequence  that  the  master  mind  did  not  create 
the  universe  for  our  amusement;  it  is  possible,  even  very  probable,  that 
these  individual  atoms  of  mind  may  continue  in  other  forms,  and  while  it 
is  really  a  waste  of  time  which  could  be  otherwise  employed  better,  yet 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION". 


185 


it  does  not  disturb  the  order  of  things  if  we  speculate  on  the  future  a 
little. 

As  we  have  reasoned  from  effects  back  to  cause  it  only  completes 
the  duality  which  is  in  evidence  everywhere  in  nature,  if  we  now  reason 
from  cause  to  effect.  Man,  possessing  the  higher  order  of  intelligence, 
and  some  of  these  being  more  highly  developed  than  others,  should,  nat- 
urally, in  the  next  cycle  of  existence  take  precedence  over  their  fellow 
minds  as  they  have  in  the  current  sphere;  and  it  occurs  to  the  genetic 
psychologist  that  those  who  have  persisted  in  refusing  to  open  their  minds 
to  direct  communication  with  the  master  mind,  thus  violating  the  true 
order  of  things,  will  take  subordinate  positions  in  the  next  existence. 
Those  who  have  persisted  in  gods  with  vengeance  in  their  hearts,  and 
devils  in  the  form  of  snakes,  may  take  rank  higher  than  the  man  who 
organized  and  manipulates  the  great  Standard  Oil  system,  but  we  have 
reason  to  doubt  it,  because  when  that  mind  reaches  the  stage  where  there 
is  no  oil  or  railroad  stocks  to  deal  in  it  will  be  more  readily  amenable  to 
the  influence  of  the  master  mind. 

By  the  same  token  that  those  mind  atoms  now  inhabiting  human 
bodies  will  very  likely  exist  in  the  future,  so  should  those  smaller  atoms 
which  now  inhabit  the  beasts  and  birds;  for  genetic  psychology  teaches 
that  all  are  a  part  of  an  infinite  system  conceived  and  executed  by  an 
infinite  mind  which  we  reverence  too  much  to  insult  by  petition  of  graft 
or  gratitude. 

STUDY  CAUSES  BY  EFFECTS. 
A  Science  for  Thinking  People — The  Hope  of  the  Human  Race — Ignor- 
ance a  Crime — Truth  a  Necessity. 

"I  honor  the  man  who  is  willing  to  sink 
"Half  his  present  repute  for  the  freedom  to  think; 
"And,  having  thought,  be  his  cause  strong  or  weak, 
"Will  sink  t'other  half  for  the  freedom  to  speak, 
"Caring  naught  for  what  vengeance  the  mob  has  in  store, 
"Be  that  mob  the  upper  ten  thousand  or  lower." 

— Lowell. 

I  acknowledge  my  obligations  to  my  Creator  and  James  Russell 
Lowell  for  the  courage  to  express  honest  convictions  publicly  upon  sub- 
jects which  have  been  hitherto  studiously  avoided,  or  discussed  privately 
with  bated  breath,  lest  the  graven  image  of  Ignorance  which  obstructs 
the  entrance  to  the  gardens  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  be  shattered, 
contrary  to  the  desires  of  a  powerful  faction  which  thrives  upon  credulity, 
and  superstition. 

A  gullible  people  applaud  the  writer  or  speaker  who  attacks  abuses 
practiced  in  the  public  service;  and  classes  go  wild  with  enthusiasm 
when  the  acts  or  opinions  of  other  classes  are  criticised. 

But,   when   a  common  fault  is   exposed,   the   inhibitory   nerves   are 


jg5  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

touched,  and  applause  is  hushed  at  the  lips  of  the  listeners,  for  two  reasons : 
First,  a  consciousness  of  guilt;  second,  they  are  paralyzed  by  the  audacity 
of  the  person  who  dares  to  beard  the  Douglas  in  his  hall. 

Since  the  beginning  there  have  been  leaders  among  men,  and  there 
has  ever  been  a  disposition  to  take  advantage  of  others.  Ignorance  and 
superstition  made  it  comparatively  easy  for  the  first  leaders  to  convince 
the  masses  they  possessed  supernatural  authority. 

These,  in  their  cunning,  divided  themselves  into  two  classes — spir- 
itual and  temporal.  The  first  pretended  to  have  commissions  direct  from 
God  and  proclaimed  and  anointed  the  second  as  rulers  of  the  people.  This 
is  the  origin  of  the  "divine  rights  of  kings." 

The  temporal  rulers,  by  way  of  reciprocity,  established  laws,  in  the 
name  of  God,  and  left  the  punishment  for  their  violation  in  control  of 
the  priests,  who  took  especial  delight  in  inflicting  such  penalties  as  kept 
their  victims  in  constant  subjection. 

To  the  ignorant,  a  priest  is  one  of  the  essentials  of  a  religion.  The 
more  ignorance,  the  more  priests,  and  the  fatter  they  are. 

The  ancient  leaders,  like  the  modern  ones,  recognized  that  the  dura- 
tion of  their  power  depended  upon  the  spread  of  ignorance,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded to  spread  it  through  the  priests. 


A  few  years  ago,  a  Chicago  minister  abandoned  his  orthodox  flock 
to  teach  heterodoxy  in  one  of  the  down-town  theaters,  where  he  failed  to 
secure  the  financial  support  he  anticipated,  and,  in  his  parting  address, 
in  the  soreness  of  his  heart,  he  tendered  the  following  corroboration  of 
my  assertion.    He  said: 

"It  is  the  hide-bound,  orthodox  Christian,  with  a  believing  sense  of 
hell,  who  contributes  to  the  support  of  the  church  and  the  ministry." 

Then  he  accepted  the  presidency  of  a  Klondike  *  company  as  a  still 
less  precarious  means  of  obtaining  his  livelihood. 


The  first  laws  defined  crimes  against  God  and  the  church,  and  made 
the  leaders  judges,  juries  and  executioners. 

The  highest  crime  was  "heresy."  This  to  prevent  investigation  and 
thought,  and  such  as  dared  to  think  and  give  expression  to  opinions  con- 
trary to  the  interests  of  existing  authority  were  immediately  put  to  death. 
In  the  name  of  God! 

The  same  disposition  prevails  to-day.  It  is  not  sufficiently  powerful 
to  continue  executions,  yet  church  annals  are  replete  with  heresy  trials 
and  convictions.  There  are  those  who  would  be  delighted  to  carry  fagots 
with  which  to  burn  me  at  the  stake  for  what  I  am  going  to  say  here,  and 
they  would  sing  hosannas  to  their  respective  Gods  for  the  opportunity  to 
serve  in  such  a  delectable  occupation.  Yet  I  shall  not  utter  one  syllable 
inconsistent  with  morality  and  honor  to  infinity  and  man. 


METAPHYSICAL    P011TI0N".  ^  1 87 

There  are  some  things  we  know;  other  we  have  yet  to  learn,  and  oth- 
ers we  shall  never  know. 

Some  of  our  knowledge  is,  inherent,  much  of  it  is  the  result  of  educa- 
tion, and,  unfortunately  for  the  advancement  of  humanity,  one  prominent 
principle  of  our  education  has  been  that  we  were  taught  to  believe  theories 
advanced  by  our  instructors,  and  to  assert  we  know  that  which  we  have 
merely  accepted  on  faith.  The  falsity  of  that  principle  is  established  by 
the  fact  that  codes,  creeds,  doctrines,  dogmas,  theories,  have  been  from 
time  to  time  subjected  to  modifications,  not  so  much  to  conform  to  the  en- 
lightenment of  the  period,  as  to  save  a  worthless  hulk  which  would  sink 
into  the  depths  of  oblivion  at  once,  were  it  not  for  the  patches  and  new 
coats  of  paint.  They  remind  me  of  an  Irish  sea  captain  who  once  related 
a  story  of  an  engagement  between  a  ship  (on  which  he  was  chief  officer) 
and  a  whole  fleet  of  vessels,  telling  how  every  man  swore  by  the  blessed 
virgin  to  not  surrender  the  "Mary  Jane."  After  a  glowing  account  of  the 
battle  (which  lasted  several  hours,  with  great  destruction  on  both  sides) 
he  admitted  his  little  command  was  overpowered,  when  one  of  his  audi- 
tors asked,  "How  about  that  oath  to  not  surrender  the  'Mary  Jane?'  " 
"Oh!  we  fixed  that  all  right,"  replied  the  captain,  "we  changed  the  name 
of  the  boat  before  lowering  our  flag." 


As  education  is  the  most  important  factor  in  our  lives,  it  is  eminently 
proper  for  us  to  seek  the  surest  method  of  arriving  at  the  truth,  and  we 
must  judge  proposed  methods  by  the  use  of  that  inherent  knowledge  to 
which  I  have  referred. 

Genetic  psychology  is  the  science  of  reducing  the  contents  of  the 
mind  without  impairing  its  functions.  In  other  words,  its  practice  is  the 
art  of  eliminating  from  the  mind  all  prejudice,  superstitution  and  arti- 
ficial knowledge,  an  acquiring  information  upon  lines  which  conform  to 
the  natural  state. 

The  mind  is  a  phenomenon  in  that  it  is  capable  of  receiving  impressions 
which  educate  it  to  receive  other  impressions,  all  of  which  comprise  an 
aggregation  which  completely  overshadows  its  inherent  qualities,  thus  con- 
verting a  really  capable  mind  into  a  mere  receptacle  for  trash,  and,  other 
minds,  having  been  taught  in  a  similar  manner,  look  upon  this  one  as 
eminently  learned,  when  in  truth  it  is  the  personification  of  ignorance. 
These  phenomena,  in  their  natural  state,  may  or  may  not  be  identical  in 
all  individuals,  but  their  development  must  be  affected  largely,  by  their 
environments.  With  so  much  of  the  artificial  all  about,  it  is  not  remarka- 
ble that  the  vast  majority  are  lost  in  its  labyrinths. 

Our  entire  system  of  education  has  ever  had  an  apparently  irresistible 
tendency  toward  the  mysterious.  We  have  been  taught  that  the  more 
impenetrable   the    proposition   the    greater   the   probability    of   its   being 


jgg  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

true,  and  that  which  we  cannot  understand  we  must  reverence  because  we 
do  not  comprehend  it. 

In  illustration  of  the  application  of  this  science,  reminding  the  reader 
that  its  practice  constantly  admonishes  its  votaries  that  the  work  of  se- 
curing an  education  is  never  finished,  I  will  proceed  to  express  convictions 
which  have  forced  themselves  upon  my  mind  through  genetic  analysis 
of  the  subject,  and  leave  it  for  each  of  you  to  put  through  the  same  pro- 
cess before  concurring  with  me  in  the  slightest  particular. 

The  ethical  code  associated  with  the  marriage  rite  is  a  gigantic  mis- 
take and  has  made  marriage. the  greatest  curse  which  humanity  has  been 
required  to  endure.  It  makes  woman  a  slave  if  she  obeys  it,  and  makes 
her  a  harlot  if  she  rebels  against  its  inquisitorial  provisions.  Let  us  exam- 
ine it. 

According  to  a  common  interpretation  of  the  Bible  the  "forbidden 
fruit"  of  which  Adam  and  Eve  partook  was  the  consummation  of  a  mar- 
riage agreement  between  them.  And,  it  is  recorded  that  when  God  hap- 
pened to  pass  Eden  one  day  and  discovered  their  happiness.,  he  cursed 
them,  and  condemned  the  woman  to  suffer  the  pains  of  maternity  in 
sorrow. 

It  seems  to  have  been  the  "unpardonable  sin,'"  too,  because  her  daugh- 
ters unto  the  present  have  suffered  in  like  manner. 

The  New  Testament  tells  us,  however,  that  there  is  hope  beyond, 
for  it  describes  two  of  the  principal  attractions  of  heaven,  namely,  there 
will  be  no  sorrow  there— nor  marriage. 

It  is  paradoxical  that  the  custom  of  marriage  as  practiced  among  us 
derives  its  authority  from  the  same  book  which  tells  us  the  first  marriage 
was  cursed  by  God. 

The  priests  point  with  pride  to  that  passage  which  says:  "What  God 
hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder,"  and  every  marriage  cere- 
mony they  perform  is  charged  to  God's  account,  thus  forcing  him  to  as- 
sume the  responsibility  for  the  mistakes  which  are  made,  and  denying 
Him  the  relief  afforded  by  the  courts  to  humanity  on  other  cases. 

They  have  hedged  it  about  with  an  alleged  moral  code,  and  erected 
a  structure,  the  corruption  bred  within  which  has  left  indelible  blots  of 
licentiousness  on  the  pages  of  history  of  every  age. 

Not  content  with  their  own  rules  of  conduct,  they  have,  in  modern 
times,  secured  the  enactment  of  arbitrary  statutes,  defining  the  rights  of 
man  and  womankind  in  this  particular,  and  supplemented  these  by  the 
cultivation  of  a  false  idea  that  there  are  subjects  which  are  unfit  for  open 
expression  between  the  sexes. 

The  natural  product  of  such  a  system  is  libertinism  and  harlotry, 
known  by  its  Christian  name,  free  love,  which  is  decried  openly  and 
practiced  secretly. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION.  1 89 

The  first  marriages  were  accomplished  by  men  merely  taking  unto 
themselves  wives.  It  is  not  recorded  that  the  said  wives  had  any  option 
in  the  matter,  and  there  was  no  limit  to  the  number  of  wives  a  man  might 
take, — except  in  the  case  of  Adam. 

Later,  they  selected  wives  from  among  women  captured  from  other 
tribes.  Still  later  they  stole  them,  or  entered  into  athletic  contests  for 
them,  or  murdered  husbands,  or  practiced  any  other  means  which  sug- 
gested itself. 

As  time  passed  on,  it  became  necessary  that  rulers  form  alliances 
with  each  other,  so  the  tribes  inter-married  by  agreement  of  their  rulers, 
and  thus  originated  the  idea  of  a  formal  ceremony,  a  feast  in  celebration 
of  the  event,  and  a  rake-off  for  the  priests. 

After  this  state  of  affairs  had  continued  for  a  time,  some  of  the 
leaders  discovered  that  God's  matches  were  not  all  that  was  claimed  fcr 
them,  and  they  devised  the  first  law  to  dissolve  such  contracts. 

It  was  a  beauty ! 

It  was  called  the  "Law  of  Jealousies"  and  provided  that  if  a  husband 
be  jealous  of  his  wife,  that  she  had  cohabited  with  another  man,  and  it 
was  true;  or  if  he  be  jealous  and  it  was  not  true,  no  matter,  she  was  put 
upon  trial  by  a  priest  and  given  bitter  water  (in  other  words,  poisoned 
water)  to  drink,  with  the  injunction  that  if  guilty,  the  water  would  cause 
her  belly  to  swell  and  her  thigh  to  rot.  If  she  was  not  guilty,  these  things 
would  not  happen. 

The  law  was  ingeniously  prepared  by  the  men,  so  the  husband  was  re- 
quired to  have  his  wife  subjected  to  this  test  to  absolve  himself  from  the 
iniquity  of  which  he  suspected  her,  and  I  have  no  doubt  many  good  women 
were  murdered  through  this  divinely  devilish  agency,  and  the  surviving 
husband  was  duly  pitied  and  honored.  (For  particulars,  see  the  fifth 
chapter  of  Numbers.) 

As  the  world  grew  older,  brains  became  more  plentiful,  the  quality  im- 
proved and  more  humane  instincts  prevailed.  The  "law  of  divorce"  was 
invented.  It  provided  that  "when  a  man  hath  taken  a  wife,  and  married 
her,  and  it  come  to  pass  that  she  find  no  favor  in  his  eyes,  because  he 
hath  found  some  uncleanness  in  her,  then  let  him  write  her  a  bill  of  di- 
vorcement and  give  it  in  her  hand  and  send  her  out  of  his  house."  (Deut. 
xxiv:  1.)  That's  more  like  it!  Just  fire  her  off  the  premises!  And  the 
law  even  went  so  far  as  to  declare  that  she  might,  after  that,  go  and  be- 
come the  wife  of  another  man  without  securing  the  consent  of  the  one  who 
cast  her  off.   How  magnanimous  I  ]  ] '  !    1 

I  find,  in  this  authority,  that  it  is  a  disgrace  to  be  murdered  by  a 
woman  (Judges  ix :  45) ;  that  she  makes  a  first  class  burnt  offering, 
witness  Jeptha's  daughter  (Judges  xi:  39).  That  she  is  a  commodity  for 
barter,  for,  according  to  Joel  iii:  3,  "They  sold  a  girl  for  wine  that  they 


190 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


might  drink."  That  she  is  an  outlandish  being  that  has  made  Solomon 
sin— that  wisest  of  men  who  was  beloved  of  his  God  (Nehemiah  xlii :  26)  ; 
that  she  is  a  liar  and  a  deceitful,  silly,  lustful  thing. 

But  nowhere  within  the  lids  of  that  Bible  have  I  found  a  word  au- 
thorizing a  woman  to  steal  a  husband,  or  buy  one  (although  I  believe 
they  do  occasionally  purchase  dukes  and  counts  and  things  nowadays), 
or  trade  for  one,  or  divorce  one,  or  even  put  him  to  the  "jealousy  test." 
And  I  submit  it  to  you,  reader,  is  it  fair? 

In  the  practice  of  his  profession,  a  good  doctor  seeks  the  causes  of 
departure  from  normal  physiological  conditions  and  endeavors  to  assist 
nature  in  removing  those  causes. 

No  doctor  ever  cured  anyone,  and  nature  has  often,  to  combat  not  only 
the  disease  but  the  physician. 

So  it  is  in  the  great  problem  of  marriage.  Incompatibility  is  the  ab- 
normal condition,  and  nature  revolts  at  the  suggestion  of  a  continuance 
of  such  a  union.  Prejudice  and  existing  statutes  are  the  incompetent 
physicians,  and  their  prescription.  "What  God  hath  joined  together,  let 
not  man  put  asunder,"  only  increases  the  malignity  of  the  affliction. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  incompatibility:  Mental  and  physical.  Pros- 
pective partners,  whose  minds  are  not  clouded  with  romantic  notions, 
ascertain  their  mental  adaptability  by  association  and  comparative  study 
of  one  another.  But  that  code  of  ethics  forbids,  as  immoral,  investigation 
into  the  subject  of  their  physical  natures,  upon  a  proper  adaptation  of 
which  depends  the  future  of  the  world,  and  they  enter  the  marriage  rela- 
tion blindly,  only  to  learn  their  mistake  after  the  fetters  are  forged  upon 
them  in  the  form  of  a  rapidly  increasing  family. 

I  have  met,  in  my  professional  capacity,  intelligent  women  who  told 
me  that  until  after  marriage  they  had  always  believed  that  babies  came 
direct  from  heaven,  in  the  mouths  of  storks,  etc.  And  I  believe  them,  for, 
they  added  tearfully,  that  if  they  had  known  as  much  before  marriage  as 
they  know  now  they  would  have  never  formed  the  alliance. 

Under  existing  conditions,  there  is -one  remedy  which  affords  relief. 
But  sensitive  natures  avail  themselves  of  it  only  in  cases  of  dire  necessity. 

The  divorce  courts  are  hot-beds  of  scandal.  "Divorce"  and  "disgrace" 
are  held  by  the  priestly  code  to  be  synonymous. 

It  is  not  the  honorable  judges  who  preside  in  these  courts,  but  the 
bodies  which  enacted  the  laws  establishing  the  methods  of  procedure, 
who  are  to  blame. 


If,  in  the  course  of  ordinary  business  affairs,  a  statement  is  made  to 
you  which  may  have  a  vital  effect  upon  your  calculations,  the  first  thought 
which  arises  in  your  minds  refers  to  the  authority  for  that  statement, 
and,  after  investigation,  you  govern  yourself  accordingly  as  you  find  that 
authority  good  or  bad. 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION-, 


I9I 


Let  us,  then,  examine  the  authority  for  this  social  condition,  and  treat 
it  as  we  find  it  deserves  to  be  treated. 

Originally  the  Bible  was  prepared  by  the  Jewish  priests  and  palmed 
off  on  their  credulous  constituents  as  the  word  of  God.  They  affirmed 
that  God  in  person  had  dictated  it  to  them,  and  they  repeated  the  story 
so  often  they  finally  came  to  believe  it  themselves. 

From  time  to  time  they  added  history  and  dreams  until  the  disrup- 
tion of  the  race,  which  I  regard  as  a  fortunate  circumstance,  else  we 
would  now  be  inflicted  with  an  appalling  multiplicity  of  its  nonsense 
and  obscenity. 

What  evidence  have  we  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God?  Just  the 
same  the  Jews  had!  Nothing  but  the  unsupported  word  of  Moses.  And 
he  had  a  pecuniary  interest  in  the  matter. 

What  evidence  have  we  that  the  Bible  is  not  the  word  of  God? 

First,  according  to  genetic  analysis,  it  is  full  of  inconsistencies,  of 
which  a  God  could  not  be  guilty.  It  begins  by  saying  that  God  created 
all  things,  thus  indicating  His  power  and  wisdom,  but  before  the  clo*e 
of  the  sixth  chapter  it  pictures  Him  as  an  utterly  incompetent  individual 
as  witness  Genesis  1 :  31,  which  says: 

"And  God  saw  everything  that  he  had  made,  and  behold  it  was  very 
good."     And  again  in  the  sixth  chapter,  verses  6  and  7 : 

"And  it  repented  the  Lord  that  He  had  made  man  on  the  earth,  and 
it  grieved  Him  at  His  heart." 

"And  the  Lord  said:  I  will  destroy  man,  whom  I  have  created,  from 
the  face  of  the  earth,  both  man  and  beast,  and  the  creeping  thing  and  the 
fowls  of  the  air,  for  it  repenteth  Me  that  I  have  made  them." 

Then,  it  sets  forth  that  Noah  was  wiser  than  God,  and  prevailed  upon 
Him  to  again  alter  His  intentions,  for  the  next  verse  says: 

"But  Noah  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,"  and  you  all  know 
the  rest  of  the  story  of  the  flood  which  followed  the  final  agreement  be- 
tween them. 

Again,  after  we  have  been  taught  that  "no  adulterer  shall  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,"  we  find  God  sanctioning  Abram's  relations  with 
Hagar  by  sending  an  angel  to  her  with  His  promise  of  especial  blessing 
for  her  and  her  prospective  son,  then  He  appeared  in  person  to  Abram.  and, 
without  mentioning  his  fault,  gave  him  the  land  of  Canaan  and  a  new 
name,  "Abraham,"  signifying  that  he  was  to  be  father  of  many  nations. 

Second,  the  spirit  of  murder,  rapine,  licentiousness  and  general  cuss- 
edness  is  its  most  prominent  feature  from  first  to  last.  Even  Jesus  is  re- 
ported in  the  tenth  chapter  of  Matthew  as  saying: 

"Think  not  I  am  come  to  send  peace  on  earth;  I  come  not  to  send 
peace,  but  a  sword." 

Third,  it  teaches  there  are  such  things  as  wizards  and  witches,  and 


192 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


ghosts,  and  hobgoblins,  and  their  ilk  (and  it  teaches  they'll  probably  git 
you  if  you  don't  watch  out). 

It  remained  for  the  less  devilish  romancers  and  Palmer  Cox  to  dis- 
cover the  good  fairies  and  brownies,  the  stories  of  whose  wondrous  kind- 
ness to  mortals  has  filled  millions  of  children's  hearts  with  loving  ambi- 
tions and  taught  them:  "The  true  road  to  perfect  happiness  is  in  doing 
good  to  others." 

Fourth,  it  accords  to  woman  a  place  not  superior  to  chattels  and  this, 
alone,  should  condemn  it  among  women. 

Do  not  understand  me  as  denying  the  existence  of  an  infinite  mind. 
I  only  repudiate  Moses  and  his  co-conspirators.  Their  stories  do  not 
hang  together.  They  are  improbable.  They  are  unreasonable.  They  are 
impossible.  Even  in  so  important  a  story  as  the  betrayal  of  Christ,  one 
chronicler  says  Judas  hanged  himself.  Another  says  he  fell  down  in  a 
field  and  burst  and  his  bowls  gushed  out. 

I  do  not  believe  there  breathes  an  intelligent  man  or  woman  who, 
upon  looking  about  at  the  wondrous  works  of  nature,  does  not  feel,  in- 
stinctively, that  an  infinite  mind  conceived  and  executed  the  plans  of  the 
universe,  and  who,  so  feeling,  does  not  reverence  such  supreme  talent  as 
a  thing  impossible  of  attainment  by  mortals. 

That  infinite  mind  has  been  called  God,  and,  with  Thomas  Paine,  I 
believe  in  one  God  and  no  more. 

The  idea  of  a  personal  God  was  purely  a  conceit  of  man.  And,  having 
created  God,  it  was  easy  to  put  words  in  His  mouth,  or  to  say  certain 
words  had  proceeded  out  of  His  mouth.  And  it  was,  and  is  still,  easy  to 
secure  believers  by  preying  upon  superstition  and  misrepresenting  that 
instinctive  reverence  to  which  I  have  referred,  promising  to  the  faithful 
the  bribe  of  heaven,  where  there  will  be  no  sorrow  or  marriage,  and  threat- 
ening the  doubting  ones  with  a  scalding  lake  of  molten  brimstone,  where 
we  shall  be  compelled  to  swim  around  for  ever  and  ever,  weeping  and  wail- 
ing and  gnashing  our  teeth,  while  the  Christian  God  and  His  chosen 
few  sit  on  golden  benches  bespangled  with  rubies  and  pearls  and  enjoy 
our  eternal  discomfiture. 

In  this  age  of  education  and  opportunity,  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how 
anyone  can  place  the  slightest  claim  of  a  divine  inspiration  for  such  a  mon- 
strous conception  of  evil  influences  and  irrational  tales.  Yet  we  find  so- 
called  eminent  scholars  who  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  they  believe 
this  earth  was  created  first  after  heaven,  and  that  all  other  orbs  are  mere 
subordinates  to  it,  having  been  the  products  of  after-thoughts  of  the 
Maker. 

Defying  astronomical  science,  the}'  insist  that  Joshua  enforced  a 
command  to  the  sun  and  moon  to  stand  still  a  whole  day. 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION-. 


193 


The  Bible  qualifies  this  story  by  saying  that  it  never  occurred  before 
or  since. 

They  believe  Jonah  survived  three  days  inside  of  a  whale.  And,  had 
the  principals  been  reversed,  they  would  have  swallowed  the  story  as 
readily. 


In  our  ordinary  capacity  as  citizens  we  are  taught  to  judge  our  fellow 
mortals  by  several  reasonable  standards. 

One  class  rates  their  neighbors  by  the  amount  of  gold  or  silver  and 
fine  raiment  they  possess. 

Another  judges  by  talents,  or  accomplishments,  or  honors  attained. 

And  still  another  forms  opinions  from  a  scrutiny  of  the  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart  and  the  general  reputation  for  respectability — honor, 
truth  and  veracity  not  being  the  least  of  the  requisite  qualifications. 


I  do  not  repudiate  the  self-evident  moral  precepts  of  the  Bible.  It 
would  be  sad,  indeed,  if,  in  all  those  pages,  we  could  not  find  a  humane 
and  virtuous  sentiment.  But  I  most  emphatically  defend  my  God  against 
the  charge  that  He  dictated  such  a  guide  to  iniquity. 

The  Ten  Commandments,  for  example,  are  reasonable,  but  they  have 
been  tortured  by  misrepresentation,  according  to  the  social  code,  so  that 
the  only  genuine  sin  is  a  violation  of  the  Seventh. 

This  code  says  virtue  consists  solely  in  a  strict  observance  of  the 
Seventh  Commandment,  and  its  devotees  damn  all  whom  they  even  sus- 
pect of  trespass  in  that  particular,  and  proceed,  complacently,  to  violate 
the  remainder  of  the  decalogue  themselves. 

The  organized  exponents  of  alleged  "revealed  religions'*  are  to-day, 
the  most  conspicuous  examples  of  violation  of  the  First  Commandment,  tn 
their  subserviency  to  the  money  kings  whose  names  are  prominent  on  their 
roll  of  communicants,  as  well  as  at  the  head  of  trusts  and  combinations 
to  control  the  products  of  this  earth,  even  literary  honors,  for  their  own 
profit. 

This  code  teaches  husbands  to  suspect  their  wives  and  wives  to  sus- 
pect their  husbands  of  infidelity.  The  Bible  gives  a  history  of  amours 
and  debauches,  which,  if  it  were  published  under  any  other  title  than 
"Holy  Bible,"  would  not  be  allowed  transmission  through  the  mails. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  people  continue  in  ignorance  and  licentious- 
ness when  such  powerful  influence  is  brought  to  bear  against  investigation 
and  education,  and  a  final  knowledge  that  would  emancipate  the  world 
from  this  slavery  of  blind  passion,  which  has  been  the  curse  of  so  many 
lives. 

It  has  been  said,  truly,  that  example  is  greater  than  precept.  The 
commandment  says,  "Thou  shalt  not."   The  history  of  old  says  they  did, 


i94 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


and  the  history  of  to-day  says  they  do.  The  history  of  old  says  Abraham 
did  and  was  not  cast  out.  The  trespassers  of  to-day  say,  "We  will  fare  as 
well  as  did  Abraham." 

This  code  says  infidelity  of  husband  to  wife,  or  wife  to  husband,  con- 
sists solely  in  violation  of  the  seventh  commandment. 

Let  us  see:  "In  means  "un;"  "fidelis"  means  "faithful."  Then, 
"infidelity"  means  "unfaithfulness." 

Ask  the  husband  who  has  been  sober,  industrious,  ambitious  constant- 
ly striving  for  an  independent  position  for  wife  and  family,  who  has  never 
had  one  word  of  encouragement  from  her  from  whom  he  has  a  right  to 
expect  it;  from  whom  he  has  received  nothing  but  complaints  and  criti- 
cisms and  discouragements,  predictions  that  his  efforts  would  be  flat  fail- 
ures, and  exultant  "I  told  you  so,"  when  they  were  failures. 

Ask  the  husband  whose  wife  spends  her  days  among  the  shops  or 
gossipy  neighbors,  while  her  children  cook  their  own  meals  and  run  wild 
on  the  streets. 

Ask  the  husband  whose  wife  is  so  taken  up  with  church  work  that 
she  has  no  time  to  keep  her  house  in  order  and  see  that  his  meals  are 
prepared  and  his  clothing  repaired. 

Ask  the  husband  whose  wife  boasts  that  she  cannot  hem  a  hand- 
kerchief or  make  a  loaf  of  bread,  but  has  been  in  society  since  she  was 
fourteen,  and  was  engaged  eighteen  times  before  she  was  twenty  years  old. 

Ask  the  husband  who  has  all  these  things  and  a  thousand  others  to 
endure,  and  he  will  tell  you  that  violation  of  the  seventh  commandment 
is  not  the  whole  infidelity. 

Ask  the  little  woman  who  married  a  man  with  the  drink  habit,  on  his 
promise  of  reform,  which  promise  was  not  kept — they  rarely  are. 

Ask  the  wife  who  sits  night  after  night  for  hours  awaiting  the  com- 
ing of  him  who  used  to  be  so  promptly  on  time  every  evening,  with 
smiles  and  roses  to  give  her  pleasure,  and  who  now  comes  in  wearily 
from  his  club  at  a  late  hour  and  asks  her  to  pull  his  boots  off.  It's  a  long 
way  from  roses  to  dirty  boots. 

Ask  the  tired  mother  of  a  houseful  of  little  ones,  who  has  never 
passed  more  than  two  years  of  married  life  without  suffering  the  pains 
of  maternity,  and  who  has  all  the  care  of  her  children,  beside  a  fretful 
husband,  who  acts  as  if  she  alone  is  responsible  for  the  incumbrances. 

Ask  the  wife  who  delights  in  demonstrations  of  affection,  who  in 
her  romantic  ignorance  married  her  husband  chiefly  because  of  his  loving 
attentions,  and  now  awakens  to  hear  him  compare  her  with  a  street  car 
which  one  runs  to  catch,  but,  as  soon  as  caught,  demonstrations  cease. 
He  doesn't  mean  to  insult  her.  He  is  a  great,  big,  ignorant  boor.  But 
it  crushes  her  heart. 

Ask  the  wife  who  married  expecting  to  be  supported  by,  instead  of 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION. 


*95 


supporting,  her  husband,  and  now  supplies,  by  the  sweat  of  her  brow, 
the  food  which  sustains  him  while  he  whittles  store-boxes  and  talks  politics. 

Ask  the  wife  who  has  all  these  and  greater  ills  to  suffer,  if  she  thinks 
violation  of  the  seventh  commandment  is  the  only  act  of  unfaithfulness 
in  married  life. 

This  code,  born  in  iniquitous  minds,  reared  in  licentious  hearts, 
clothed  in  a  mantle  of  alleged  inspiration  of  God,  stalks  the  world  to-day, 
as  it  has  for  ages,  overshadowing  truths  that  God  intended  all  to  know, 
namely:  That  mental  and  physical  adaptability  are  two  distinct  propo- 
sitions.   That  to  be  mated  happily  a  couple  must  possess  both  at  once. 

This  falsely  called  virtuous  code,  which  breeds  more  unvirtue  than 
anything  else  on  earth,  tells  us  to  trust  to  luck  in  choosing  our  mates. 
It  educates  society  to  read  trashy  romances  of  sensational  elopements 
and  sensual  escapades,  and  then  go  and  do  likewise. 

Science  teaches  us  to  use  common  sense  in  contracting  marriage, 
just  as  we  would  in  any  other  business  engagement,  and  ascertain,  by 
honorable  means,  the  truth  regarding  our  comparative  fitness  for  each 
other. 

Shakespeare  discounts  the  ten  commandments  when,  in  Hamlet,  he 
makes  Polonius  advise  Laertes: 

"This  above  all :  to  thine  own  self  be  true, 
"And  it  must  follow,  as  the  night  the  day, 
"Thou  canst  not,  then,  be  false  to  any  man." 

We  are  all  God's  creatures,  and  if  we  learn  to  be,  and  are,  true  to  our- 
selves, we  cannot  be  false  to  others  nor  to  Him. 

If  the  first  marriage  was  a  sin,  all  subsequent  ones  have  been. 

If  God  joined  the  later  ones  together,  He  committed  a  crime  upon  the 
occasion  of  each  marriage  celebration. 

If  he  did  not  join  them  together,  somebody  has  lied. 

I  do  not  believe  marriage  is  a  sin,  per  se.  It  is  only  a  deplorable  mis- 
take in  most  cases. 

In  some  it  is  a  real  benediction. 

I  believe  it  is  a  sin  worse  than  adultery  for  a  marital  union  to  be  con- 
tinued after  the  discovery  is  made  that  there  was  an  error  committed  in 
the  formation  of  that  union. 

I  do  not  believe  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God,  because  it  conveys  tile 
idea  that  Adam  and  Eve  sinned  in  cohabiting,  when  cohabitation  is  the 
only  means  of  perpetuating  and  ennobling  our  race. 

I  do  not  believe  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God,  because  it  does  not  rec- 
ognize in  woman  man's  equal.  The  place  she  is  making  for  herself  in 
the  world  to-day  proves  the  falsity  of  its  assumption. 

I  spurn  the  book  which  tells  me  woman  was,  in  any  age.  contraband 
of  war  among  God's  own  people. 


196 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


I  refuse  to  believe  that  a  soul  is  lost  because  it  was  born  out  of 
wedlock.  It  was  begotten  in  a  natural  manner,  and  is  a  child  of  the  God 
who  devised  the  method  of  procreation. 

I  denounce  the  social  code  which  ostracises  the  unfortunate  girl  who 
gave  herself  up  to  her  lover,  and  continues  to  receive  her  seducer  at  its 
functions. 

I  lay  at  the  doors  of  Christian  society  the  charge  that  it  is  more  un- 
clean than  the  girl  who  satisfied,  in  a  natural  manner,  a  passion  which  an 
all-wise  God  gave  her. 

I  say  there  is  nothing  more  blasphemous  nor  deserving  of  contempt 
than  the  prevailing  idea  that  the  function  of  the  procreative  organs  is 
a  topic  unfit  for  discussion  between  the  sexes. 

I  insist  that  ignorance  is  a  crime,  and  that  those  who  seek  to  restrict 
the  dissemination  of  knowledge  (good  or  evil)  are  criminals. 

How  are  we  to  avoid  evil  if  it  has  not  been  exposed  to   us? 

I  deny  that  mankind  is  naturally  prone  to  evil,  but  admit  that  our 
education  for  ages  has  drifted  us  that  way,  and  I  hold  the  bible  and  Chris- 
tianity responsible  for  it. 

Mankind  was  created  male  and  female  for  the  purpose  of  cohabita- 
tion, procreation  and  pleasurable  companionship,  and  all  were  created 
equal  so  far  as  the  rights  subject  to  their  control  are  concerned. 

Marriage,  as  it  is  practiced,  is  a  desecration  of  those  rights. 

Rev.  Charles  H.  Parkhurst,  who,  posing  as  a  reformer,  created  a  dis- 
turbance in  New  York  a  few  years  ago,  delivered  an  address  in  Madison 
Square  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he  said: 

"I  do  not  know  how  many  unfaithful  husbands  or  wives  there  are 
in  this  community,  but  I  should  calculate  that  there  might  be  well  on 
toward  a  quarter  of  a  million. 

"The  love  between  husband  and  wife  is  kept  true,  in  some  cases,  by 
the  possession  of  children ;  but  I  have  learned  enough  to  know  that  in 
the  case  of  any  couple  that  might  present  themselves  before  me  to  be 
married,  I  would  not,  at  any  rate  of  premium,  issue  an  insurance  policy 
on  their  conjugal  felicity  good  for  more  than  five  years,  unless  on  the 
contingency  of  offspring,  or  on  the  basis  of  their  common  faith  in  God. 

"Educating  a  man  does  not  change  his  impulses  any  more  than  whet- 
ting steel  converts  it  into  willow,  or  sharpening  a  wolf's  teeth  will  mase 
him  a  kitten." 

Just  think  of  it,  you! 

Just  think  of  a  system,  the  practical  workings  of  which  bring  such 
expressions  from  one  who  believes  in  it ! 

Could  anything  be  more  sweeping  in  its  condemnation  than  his  own 
statement  that  he  would  not  issue  insurance  guaranteeing  conjugal  felici- 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION. 


197 


ty  for  more  than  five  years  to  those  whose  union  he  officially  pronounced' 
the  work  of  God? 

He  says  education  does  not  change  one's  impulses. 

Maybe  it  did  not  in  his  case,  in  which  event  we  can  understand  bet- 
ter his  object  in  his  slumming  experiences. 

I  think  he  is  right  in  his  estimate  of  the  unfaithful  ones.  Probably 
it  is  too  low.    But  who  is  responsible  for  it? 

He  asserts  the  love  between  husband  and  wife  is  kept  true,  in  some 
cases,  by  the  possession  of  children.  In  others,  by  a  common  faith  in 
God. 

Some  of  the  most  unhappy  families  I  have  ever  seen  had  as  many  child- 
ren as  the  famous  old  woman  who  lived  in  a  shoe,  and  they  had  family 
prayers  twice  a  day,  beside  "grace"  at  meal  time. 

The  moderately  happy  ones  whom  I  have  known  were  invariably 
rather  lax  than  otherwise  in  their  religious  duties,  and  appeared  to  live 
more  for  the  present  happiness  than  for  the  hereafter. 

The  idea  of  "keeping  love  true"  could  only  find  lodgment  in  a  dis- 
eased brain  or  undeveloped  mind. 

True  love  will  always  remain  true,  children  or  no  children,  Christian 
God  or  no  Christian  God,  marriage  or  no  marriage. 

The  spurious  article,  propagated  in  the  hot-houses  of  romance,  may 
need  a  superstition,  a  ritual  and  houseful  of  responsibilities  to  sustain  it. 

The  genuine,  that  inherent  sense  by  which  one  feels  the  object  of  his 
love  is  a  part  of  his  being,  supports  itself.  It  is  God,  and  God  is  love. 
It  controls  passion.  It  inspires  ambition.  It  exalts  the  mind.  It  purifies 
the  soul.     It  is  good.     Let  us  revere  it.  ,    j 

•*  * 

!  ■  

Some  of  our  good  brethren,  the  preachers,  tell  us,  from  their  pulpits, 
the  world  is  growing  worse.  Others,  realizing  who  and  what  will  be  held 
responsible  for  this  condition  by  thinking  people,  loudly  proclaim  from 
their  pulpits  that  the  reverse  is  true. 

They  dispute  about  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of 
man  until  both  are  exhausted  and  neither  convinced.  They  have  not 
learned  the  difference  between  a  dispute  and  an  argument.  When  one 
proposes  a  great  reform,  the  other  opposes  it,  not  with  argument,  but 
from  pure  love  of  dispute. 

I  believe  the  world  is  growing  better.  There  appears  to  be  an  in- 
creasing desire  for  knowledge.  And  with  knowledge  comes  a  desire  to  use 
it.  That  desire  forces  the  individual  to  seek  associates  who  can  appreciate 
him  or  her.  And,  when  people  engage  in  the  pursuit  or  dissemination  of 
knowledge,  they  are  not  getting  into  mischief. 

One  of  the  subjects  to  which  a  great  deal  of  study  is  now  being  de- 
voted  is   the   physical   adaptability   of   mankind   and   womankind.      It   is 


198 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


being  discovered  that  we  are  different  from  animals.  That  we  have 
greater  opportunities  to  improve  our  race  than  the  animal.  We  have 
the  examples  of  what  breeding  and  cultivation  have  done  among  animals 
and  in  the  vegetable  and  floral  kingdoms.  And  it  is  beginning  to  dawn 
on  students  that  we  owe  it  to  our  Creator  and  ourselves  to  continue  the 
development  of  our  race. 

Animals  have  passions,  which  are  governed  by  instinct.  The  human 
family  have  passions,  and  most  of  them  are  governed  by  instinct;  the 
rest  by  superstition,  except  a  very  small  proportion  who  rule  their  pas- 
sions by  the  use  of  the  mind  which  God  gave  them  to  make  them  superior 
to  the  beasts  of  the  field. 

They  have  learned  that  one  passion  is  periodical  in  animals  and  al- 
most constant  in  mankind.  They  have  reasoned  that  the  Creator  gave 
these  passions  to  bring  affinities  together  for  the  purpose  of  perpetuation 
and  elevating  the  race.  They  have  found  that  gratification  of  those  pas- 
sions is  the  sweetest  of  the  fleeting  pleasures  God  has  given  us.  They 
reasoned  that  He  did  not  intend  procreation  to  occur  as  often  as  the 
passion  obtained,  because  it  is  impossible,  and  discovered  that  the  power 
of  the  mind  could  be  used  to  control  those  passions,  regulate  procreation, 
and  promote  happiness. 

They  formed  themselves  into  communities  and  conducted  experiments 
which,  in  the  one  instance  I  have  investigated,  covered  a  period  of  thirty- 
seven  years  of  successful  demonstration  of  a  physical  principle  which  all 
the  creeds  and  creeds  of  all  the  priests  and  prudes  in  Christendom  cannot 
gainsay. 

I  do  not  advocate  their  community  plan,  nor  do  I  condemn  it,  except 
in  one  particular.    It  was  established  as  a  church. 

I  believe  in  their  principles  as  a  science  and  do  not  want  any  church 
business  mixed  with  it. 

I  do  not  advocate  the  promiscuity  which  obtained  there,  because  it 
would  be  abused  in  the  present  degree  of  enlightenment,  and  I  believe, 
anyhow,  that  when  a  couple  are  deliberately,  intelligently,  scientifically 
mated  to  each  other,  and  know  it,  they  will  have  no  desire  for  other  com- 
pany. 

At  the  same  time,  I  maintain  that  were  the  general  public  educated 
up  to  and  practiced  the  beliefs  of  that  community,  all  men  would  be  hon- 
orable, all  women  would  be  virtuous.  There  would  be  no  libertines  and 
no  harlots. 

That  community  was  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  superstition  at  the 
seat  of  government  of  the  great  state  of  New  York  by  its  legislature 
under  the  leadership  of  a  minister  of  one  of  these  "revealed  religions,,  of 
which  Abraham,  David  and  all  the  old  kings  were  the  founders. 

I  presume  he  had  a  vision  in  which  he  saw  a  handwriting  on  the  wall, 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


I99 


but,  by  his  interpretation  of  it,  he  put  off  the  evil  day  of  his  dethronement 
by  securing  the  enactment  of  a  law  making  statutory  criminals  of  a  peo- 
ple whose  religion  was  to  do  good  and  whose  history,  moral,  physical 
and  financial,  affords  an  example  worthy  of  emulation  by  indigent  swag- 
gers who  set  themselves  up  as  teachers  and  critics  of  their  fellow  mortals. 

They  suffered  the  distinction  of  persecution,  as  did  Jesus  Christ, 
Martin  Luther,  Thomas  Paine,  and  others  whose  works  will  endure  and 
command  admiration  as  long  as  the  earth  continues  to  be  inhabited. 

Jesus  Christ  taught,  "Do  unto  others  as  you  would  have  them  do  unto 
you." 

Martin  Luther  taught  the  confessional  was  a  snare  and  delusion  con- 
ceived by  the  priesthood  and  employed  to  extort  money  from  the  laity, 
who  purchased  "indulgences"  for  contemplated  crimes.  By  order  of  the 
Pope  his  writings  were  burned,  but  he  retaliated  by  destroying  publicly 
the  pope's  bull  against  him,  thus  throwing  down  the  gauntlet  for  a  com- 
bat which  resulted  disastrously  to  the  idea  of  exclusive  papal  authority. 

Thomas  Paine,  while  in  prison  for  uttering  sentiments  contrary  to 
the  beliefs  of  existing  fanatical  authority  prepared  for  the  world  his  "Age 
of  Reason,"  which  has,  more  than  any  other  book  published,  taught  man- 
kind how  to  think,  how  to  distinguish  between  true  and  false  propositions. 

Galileo  discovered  and  taught  a  system  of  planetary  evolutions  which 
the  wise  men  of  the  church  declared  was  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  the 
Bible,  and  they  put  him  to  the  torture. 

Galileo  was  right  and  the  priests  wrong  again. 

I  would  not  limit  the  dispensation  of  information,  upon  any  subject, 
to  the  membership  of  a  community,  of  a  church,  or  of  a  lodge.  I  would 
scorn  to  pursue  investigations  in  any  direction  in  a  manner  which  I  would 
be  unwilling  to  trust  others  to  follow,  or  to  travel  a  road  where  my  fellow 
mortals  would  accompany  me  at  their  peril. 

I  want  to  express  opinions  as  I  form  them,  so  that  if  my  conclusions 
are  right  others  may  be  stimulated  to  study,  and  if  I  am  mistaken  I  may  be 
set  right  by  those  whose  mental  development  is  superior.  The  mind 
which  would  inspire  imprisonment  and  persecution  as  my  portion  for 
thinking  and  giving  expression  to  honest  thoughts  is  beneath  my  contempt, 
and  is  a  monstrosity  which  must  be  a  humiliating  spectacle  to  its  Creator. 

When  one  is  studying  from  a  natural  point  of  view,  everyday  expres- 
sions often  suggest  ideas.  Recently  the  words  "indecent  exposure  of  per- 
son" touched  my  mind,  and  I  investigated  the  idea  with  the  purpose  of 
understanding  its  full  significance. 

To  the  mind  in  a  very  low  state  of  development  it  suggests  sensual 
thoughts.  To  the  one  superficially  developed  it  awakens  feelings  of  dis- 
gust. In  the  genetic  mind  it  inspires  investigation  as  to  what  would  con- 
stitute indecency,  supposing  no  ordinances  upon  the  subject  existed. 


2QO  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

If  the  Creator  intended  us  to  wear  clothing  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
cealing any  portion  of  our  anatomy,  he  committed  a  flagrant  breach  of 
duty  in  neglecting  to  arrange  that  we  might  be  born  clothed. 

As  he  did  not  so  provide,  and  as  the  amount  of  clothing  worn  in  vari- 
ous climates  ranges  from  a  smile  and  a  fan  in  the  torrid  zone  to  polar  bear 
skins  in  the  Arctic  regions,  we  are  compelled  to  charge  the  clothing  fea- 
ture to  circumstances,  and  the  amount  and  variety  of  fashions  to  the  in- 
genuity of  mankind. 

The  regulations  of  society  regarding  the  amount  to  be  worn  are  purely 
matters  of  education  and  that  education  is,  in  this  instance,  evidence  of 
society's  erotic  condition. 

I  saw  a  picture,  in  a  Sunday  paper,  not  long  since,  of  an  elegantly 
dressed  gentleman  ogling  the  shapely  ankle  of  a  young  girl  who  was 
crossing  the  street  holding  her  skirts  out  of  the  mud  with  one  hand,  while 
she  carried  an  umbrella  in  the  other.  The  gentleman's  comment  was: 
"Gee  whiz!  that  is  the  most  beautiful  ankle  I  have  ever  seen/'  At  that 
moment  the  girl  reached  the  sidewalk  and  he  recognized  her  as  his  own 
daughter.  Then  he  expressed  himself  as  follows:  "Ethel,  you  ought  to 
be  ashamed  to  expose  yourself  so;  you  are  a  disgrace  to  your  family." 

Now,  I  say  that  man,  in  all  reason,  should  have  been  arrested  and  fined 
heavily  for  exposing  his  mind. 

If  an  individual  is  diseased  in  any  part  of  his  or  her  anatomy,  nature 
requires  exclusion  from  exposure  to  the  elements  in  order  that  the  heal- 
ing process  may  continue  unhampered.  Bodily  infirmities  affect  the  sensi- 
bilities of  different  people  in  different  ways;  therefore  a  diseased  part 
should  be  covered. 

In  the  instance  of  the  gentleman  mentioned  above,  I  think  a  gag 
in  his  mouth  would  have  covered  effectually  his  mind,  which  was  evident- 
ly diseased. 

To  the  pure  all  things  are  pure.  To  the  mind  which  has  been  filled 
with  false  doctrines,  the  naked  form  of  a  Venus  or  Apollo,  sculptured  in 
marble,  is  an  indecent  exposure  of  person. 

Thousands  of  people  in  this  city  will  not  visit  the  Art  Institute  for 
fear  of  assault  by  some  of  the  statuary  there.  And  I  think  it  is  just  as 
well  that  they  remain  away.  Their  souls  are  too  shriveled  to  appreciate 
the  beauties  of  such  a  garden  of  the  gods. 

I  know  people  who  will  not  sing  "The  Campbells  Are  Coming"  in 
company  because  the  tune  has  been  applied  to  some  lewd  verse.  My  po- 
lite vocabulary  fails  me  when  I  try  to  express  my  opinion  of  such  prudery. 

The  education  which  keeps  the  young  in  ignorance  of  their  natural 
functions  and  how  to  care  for  them  makes  invalids  and  harlots  and  out- 
casts of  the  girls,  and  libertines  and  criminals  and  physical  wrecks  of  tne 
boys. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION.  2QI 

I  would  educate  them  all  in  every  direction  which  will  enable  them  to 
promote  their  own  physical  and  mental  development. 

I  would  teach  them  that  God  never  made  anything  that  He  is  unwill- 
ing His  children  should  investigate. 

I  would  teach  them  all  that  when  the  authors  of  the  church  code 
suggest  that  there  is  a  forbidden  topic,  they  do  it  with  a  deliberate  in- 
tention of  stirring  up  such  evil  thoughts  as  reigned  supreme  in  the  minds 
of  the  old  reprobates  who  wrote  the  Bible  and  in  it  taught  the  doctrine, 
"Though  thy  sins  be  as  scarlet  thou  shalt  be  whiter  than  snow,"  thus  put- 
ting a  premium  on  sin  and  fixing  it  so  one  who  believes  their  plan  can  sin 
in  detail  and  be  forgiven  in  job  lots. 

I  would  teach  the  young  man  to  respect  womankind  from  the  sheer 
force  of  his  intellect.  I  would  also  teach  him  that  hell  is  the  remorse  an 
honorable  man  suffers  when  he  has  wronged  anyone,  more  particularly  a 
woman,  whom  Nature  endowed  him  to  protect.  I  would  teach  him  that 
heaven  is  the  loving  confidence  a  sweet  girl  reposes  in  a  manly  man,  and 
that  the  more  manly  he  is  the  more  confidence  she  will  give,  and  the 
more  Heaven  there  will  be  for  both. 

I  would  teach  the  young  woman  to  cultivate  common  sense,  that  she 
may  distinguish  the  true  from  the  false.  I  would  educate  her  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  responsibilities  which  will  come  to  her  in  the  marriage  relation, 
so  that  if  she  does  not  choose  to  assume  such  a  burden  she  can  decline  to 
enter  into  the  contract. 

I  would  teach  them  both,  with  reference  to  tne  marriage  contract, 
that  woman  is  in  all  respects  man's  equal,  and  should  have  the  privilege 
of  determining  whether  or  not  she  will  endure  the  pains  of  maternity. 

The  man  must  understand  that  he  is  her  protector,  and  should  quali- 
fy himself  with  a  scientific  knowledge  of  his  duties  and  how  to  perform 
them,  before  he  presumes  to  enter  the  marriage  relation. 

Children  should  be  prearranged  for  and  the  mental  and  physical 
temperaments  should  be  in  harmony  to  develop  the  race.  It  is  a  crime  to 
do  otherwise. 

I  would  teach  them  to  limit  their  family  to  their  ability  to  provide 
food,  clothes  and  education.    Not  by  criminal  practices,  but  by  the  light 
*  of  higher  knowledge  and  in  manners  consistent  with  Nature,  and  health 
and  happiness. 

I  would  teach  them  that  none  are  perfect,  that  mistakes  in  the  selection 
of  life  companions  are  liable  to  occur  even  under  the  best  conditions,  and 
if,  after  marriage,  they  discover  an  error  has  been  committed,  they  should 
dissolve  their  relation  before  incumbrances  arrive.  The  products*  of  their 
union  could  not  be  valuable  acquisitions  to  society. 

Finally,  I  would  teach  everybody  to  have  a  supreme  contempt  for 
idiotic  conventionalities  and  a  hearty  respect  for  God's  truth  and  justice, 


202  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

and  to  do  right  as  their  enlightened  minds  see  the  right,  because  it  is 
right,  and  not  through  any  superstitious  fear  of  God,  man  or  devil. 

MENTAL    DISEASES. 

Many  are  Such  which  Have  not  Been  so  Considered. 

These  are  of  two  kinds :   First,  from  natural  causes,  such  as  shock  or 
strain ;  second,  educational  causes,  which  are  the  most  baneful,  for  two  rea- 
sons:   First,  they  controvert  nature  and  are  practically  incurable  because 
of  the  many  chances  for  reinfection,  and  even  moderate  attacks  have  such 
complete  control  of  the  victims,  through  an  alleged  moral  code,  that  they 
refuse  to  listen  to  reason  and  let  their  physical  bodies  suffer  untold  ills, 
which  in  themselves  should  be  reason  enough  for  changes  of  opinion ;  sec- 
ond, although  they  are  dangerous  to  the  welfare  of  the  communities  in 
which  they  live,  they  are  permitted  to  run  at  large,  unless  they  reach  a 
state  of  frenzy  where  they  are  liable  to  do  themselves  or  others  bodily  in- 
jury as  the  consummation  of  their  fanaticism.    Many  of  this  class  are  really 
estimable  people  in  all  particulars  except  that  they  would  invoke  the  aid  of 
the  legislative  and  judicial  machinery  in  order  to  realize  their  dreams.  The 
more  rational  class  in  all  communities  who  have  given  the  matter  a  second 
thought,  have  for  ages  pointed  out  the  fact  that  the  so-called  dogmas  vio- 
lated every  law  of  nature  by  teaching  mankind  that  there  are  subjects  un- 
fit for  conversation  between  the  sexes  and  that  there  are  parts  of  the  hu- 
man anatomy  of  which  the  owner  should  be  ashamed.    The  rational  think- 
ers have  taught  that  the  part  to  be  ashamed  of  is  the  perverted  mind  that 
insults  its  creator  by  shaming  his  works,  because  in  the  ignorance,  culti- 
vated by  the  other  class,  some  organs  have  been  misused  and  polluted. 

The  first  class  of  cases  is  divided  into  acute  mania  and  melancholia, 
or  what  we  term  the  -f-  and  —  stages.  They  are  frequently  found  on  the 
midline  between  the  two  extremes,  for  the  reason  that  a  perfect  mind  can- 
not exist  in  an  unhealthy  body,  because  it  derives  its  sustenance  from  the 
same  food  that  the  body  does,  while  its  development  depends  upon  its  un- 
restricted right  to  think  and  express  its  thoughts  in  exchange  for  those  of 
others.  Thus,  it  will  be  seen  immediately  that  in  all  cases  of  mental  de- 
rangements from  physical  causes  we  also  have  to  contend  with  the  influ- 
ences of  education,  both  proper  and  improper. 

The  first  exhibit  of  mental  disorder,  from  physical  cause,  is  usually 
dullness  of  understanding.  The  second  is  excitability,  irritability  of  temper, 
etc.,  The  third  is  loss  of  memory.  The  fourth  is  the  extreme  products, 
mania  on  the  up  turn  and  melancholy  on  the  down  turn.  These  conditions 
are  often  aggravated  by  lack  of  discretion  on  the  part  of  the  doctor  or  the 
friends  of  the  patient.  Some  people  require  sympathy,  others  require  casti- 
gation.  Too  much  sympathy  is  depressing ;  not  enough  has  pushed  many  a 
victim  over  the  danger  line  into  acute  mania  or  total  collapse.  It  is  very 
often  necessary  to  isolate  the  patient  from  relatives  and  friends,  and  too 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


203 


often  the  trained  nurse  is  an  automatic  devil,  absolutely  devoid  of  judg- 
ment or  sympathy,  who  treats  every  case  alike,  regardless  of  temperament 
or  physical  condition.  A  perfect  nurse  is  a  born  doctor,  with  the  comple- 
ment of  an  education  in  the  practical  use  of  common  sense.  A  good  doctor 
is  a  born  nurse,  with  the  addition  of  his  education.  Not  one  woman  in  ten 
thousand  is  fit  for  either.  This  may  be  from  the  environments  which  have 
been  hers  from  the  beginning,  or  it  may  be  an  inherent  truth,  but  it  is 
nevertheless  true,  a  female  physician  is  either  too  mannish  to  have  an  at- 
tractive personality,  or  she  is  too  excitable  and  conscious  of  the  superiority 
she  believes  she  possesses  over  her  fellow  citizens. 

Results  which  came  from  physical  causes  will  naturally  disappear 
when  those  causes  are  removed,  always  provided  that  the  secondary  have 
not  gained  supremacy  in  the  meantime. 

Of  the  other  class  we  have  a  great  diversity  in  the  effects.  In  the  first 
place,  selfishness  is  naturally  and  properly  the  greatest  attribute  of  human 
character.  Utilized  properly  it  fosters  ambition,  inspires  desire  for  educa- 
tion that  its  possessor  may  understand  how  to  get  the  most  good  out  of  life 
without  infringing  upon  the  rights  of  others.  It  concedes  to  others  all  priv- 
ileges consistent  with  the  natural  laws  of  order  and  fairness.  It  disputes 
the  right  of  any  to  a  monopoly  of  either  thought  or  action.  It  disdains  to 
accept  the  aid  of  statutes  to  secure  unjust  privileges  to  itself.  It  is,  with- 
out question,  the  highest  type  of  development  of  the  human  intellect.  If 
allowed  to  pass  the  "limit  angle"  it  becomes  a  mental  disease  and  the  one 
form  of  insanity  which  has  done  more  harm  than  all  other  causes,  physical 
or  mental.  Its  name  is  jealousy.  It  has  been  classified  appropriately  as  the 
"green-eyed  monster ;"  its  chief  ally  is  conceit,  which  is  simply  self-esteem 
gone  beyond  the  limit  angle.  It  is  suspicious.  It  is  ignorant.  With  it,  to 
imagine  is  to  believe,  to  believe  is  to  act,  to  act  is  scandal  and  scandal  is 
hell.  It  has  no  regard  for  character.  It  sees  but  one  idea.  A  thousand 
virtuous  acts  are  forgotten  in  the  presence  of  an  imaginary  misstep.  It  has 
made  marriage  a  humbug.  It  has  driven  men  and  women  to  crime.  It  has 
smashed  homes,  lodges,  churches  and  governments.  It  has  stuck  its  vile 
head  up  in  the  name  of  Christianity  and  burned  alleged  heretics  at  the  stake. 
It  crucified  Jesus  Christ.  It  has  appeared  again  in  modern  times,  in  the 
form  of  medical  legislation,  and  declared  that  those  who  practice  the  meth- 
ods of  Hippocrates  with  scarcely  any  improvements  since  his  time,  not 
only  shall  have  the  exclusive  right  to  attempt  to  relieve  human  suffering 
but  shall  have  the  exclusive  right  to  lie  about  it  and  profess  to  heal  and 
cure,  when  any  sane  person  knows  that  only  nature  heals  and  cures  and 
that  the  best  any  doctor  can  do  is  to  assist  her  by  removing  the  physical 
causes  with  appliances,  manual  treatments,  dietetics  and  hygiene,  and  seek 
to  educate  his  patients  mentally  to  prevent  the  infection  of  the  mind  by 
bigots  and  charlatans,  who  by  reason  of  their  numbers,  have  been  able  to 


204 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


make  the  masses  believe  they  are  the  only  legitimate  thinkers  and  prac- 
titioners. 

Another  branch  is  the  terrible  scourge  from  the  bacillus  "goldbug." 
The  prophet  said  "The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil."  He  was  mis- 
taken, as  we  have  just  shown,  but  it  certainly  ranks  second  in  importance 
because  our  legislatures  and  courts  have  shown  a  subserviency  to  the  medi- 
cal and  other  trusts  by  passing  alleged  laws  and  upholding  them,  which 
have  denied  the  people  the  rights  guaranteed  by  the  constitution,  which 
says,  "The  rights  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be  abridged." 
They  do  this  when  they  declare  that  the  old-school  medical  doctors  shall 
have  the  only  rights  to  treat  human  ills,  and  the  public,  which  is  the  great 
sufferer,  proves  its  contempt  for  such  alleged  laws  by  employing  "irregu- 
lar" doctors  with  new  and  improved  methods  as  positively  harmless  as  they 
are  positively  drugless,  and  getting  good  results  where  the  unconstitution- 
ally protected  ones  fail.  We  can  show  conclusively  in  exact  figures,  the  im- 
portance of  the  eyes  as  factors  in  causing  human  ills.  We  can  prove  ab- 
solutely that  the  habits  of  eating,  etc.,  are  common  causes  of  physical 
ills,  and  we  can  show  many  others  which  we  defy  drugs,  surgical  opera- 
tions as  commonly  understood,  osteopathy,  chiropathy  or  any  one  idea 
system  to  benefit  the  slightest.  Neurology  teaches  the  rights  of  man.  It 
teaches  the  limitations  of  selfishness  and  its  practitioners,  who  have  no 
yellow  streaks  in  them,  defy  the  alleged  laws  and  invite  the  public  to 
avail  themselves  of  their  own  constitutional  rights  to  get  health  wherever 
they  can  find  it,  and  to  assure  them  that  we  have  the  only  air  line  road 
to  Wellville,  but  that  when  they  buy  a  ticket,  they  must  be  sure  to  remain 
on  the  train  or  they  will  never  get  there.  By  this  we  mean  that  they 
must  follow  instructions  to  the  letter;  otherwise,  while  they  may  reach 
there  eventually,  they  will  have  gone  on  a  way  freight  instead  of  on  the 
"twentieth  century  limited.  " 

The  effects  exhibited  by  our  patients,  in  the  mental  departments,  are 
sometimes  obstacles  to  our  methods.  For  example,  pork,  especially  ham, 
well  cooked,  contains  a  fine  proportion  of  certain  elements  which  we  find 
by  our  analysis  nature  needs.  The  Jew  has  religious  scruples  against  this 
meat,  but  we  can  be  magnanimous  with  this  mild  form  of  insanity  by  sub- 
stituting fish  and  chicken. 

Another  form  which  we  find  very  common,  is  that  it  is  difficult  with 
female  patients  to  get  the  full  story  of  their  physical  ills  because  of  a  prud- 
ishness  which  has  been  cultivated  in  them  by  well-meaning  mothers  and 
others,  the  result  of  which  is  to  keep  them  in  ignorance  regarding  their 
anatomy  and  physiology  and  to  propagate  a  vague  idea  that  to  even  think 
of  their  sexual  organs  is  lewd.  The  result  upon  the  doctor  is  that  he  has  to 
grope  along  in  ignorance  or  dismiss  the  case  for  the  insult  to  his  manhood 
and  education.   Happily  neurology  offers  the  nearest  solution  of  the  diffi- 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


205 


■culty  that  is  possible.  Whenever  we  find  such  insanity  we  demand  abso- 
lute rest,  strict  obedience  to  the  letter  of  instructions,  see  the  case  at  least 
every  other  day,  and  if  we  find  violations,  we  quit  the  case  to  save  a  repu- 
tation which  would  otherwise  be  injured  through  no  fault  of  our  own. 

The  public  expects  little  or  nothing  in  chronic  cases  from  the  old  drug 
methods,  and  though  they  go  from  one  doctor  to  another  through  several 
years  of  exactly  the  same  kind  of  treatment  they  have  no  fault  to  find  with 
the  old  systems,  but  jump  upon  ours  with  both  feet  and  a  club  without 
waiting  to  find  out  what  it  is,  which  is  certainly  an  acute  form  of  insanity, 
and  if  they  finally  decide  to  try  our  methods,  and  are  not  marvels  of  health 
and  beauty  in  forty-eight  hours,  they  condemn  us.  Right  here,  we  are  liable 
to  attacks  of  the  disease  ourselves.  We  get  such  marvelous  results,  as  a 
rule,  by  conceding  to  Nature  all  the  powers  of  cure,  and  bsing  careful  to 
assist  her  but  never  to  supplant  her,  that  we  are  apt  to  promise  too  much  in 
order  to  reach  the  educational  cause  of  the  trouble,  we  crowd  the  physi- 
cal possibilities  into  too  short  a  time,  thus  contributing  to  our  own  undo- 
ing. Therefore  we  must  watch  ourselves  as  closely  as  the  patient  watches 
us,  in  order  to  keep  within  the  laws  of  reason  because  their  violation  has 
a  penalty  attached  that  no  state  board  nor  venal  judge  nor  state  legisla- 
ture nor  jailer  can  enforce. 

One  of  the  bad  forms  of  insanity  is  that  in  which  the  patient  has  be- 
come so  attached  to  her  ills  that  it  grieves  her  to  part  with  them,  and  who, 
when  she  finds  herself  getting  well,  deliberately  abandons  treatment,  as- 
suming that  she  is  well,  without  consulting  the  doctor  and  goes  back  into 
the  old  state  and  then  blames  the  system.  For  such,  a  handy  vocabulary  of 
cuss-words  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  doctor's  armamentarium. 

The  blame  for  the  species  of  insanity  that  makes  patients  expect  to  vio- 
late nature's  laws  and  purchase  immediate  immunity  from  the  doctor  with- 
out any  sacrifice  on  their  part,  as  they  purchase  immunity  from  punishment 
for  alleged  spiritual  sins  at  the  confessional,  is  directly  due  to  the  doctors 
themselves,  but  indirectly  to  the  public  and  primarily  to  the  priesthood, 
who  in  ancient  times  were  not  only  spiritual  but  temporal  authorities.  The 
bible  teaches  that  Elisha,  the  apostles  and  others  performed  miracles  in 
curing  diseases.  The  people  came  to  believe  this  rot  and  demand  that  the 
present  day  doctors  furnish  a  magic  substitute  for  the  penalty  of  the  viola- 
tion of  all  natural  laws,  so  that  they  may  indulge  their  insane  desires  with 
impunity.  One  of  them  walks  into  the  doctor's  office  suffering  from  an 
acute  disorder,  looks  the  doctor  squarely  in  the  eye,  while  he  deliberately 
asserts  that  he  has  done  nothing  to  merit  the  punishment  he  is  receiving, 
demands  a  medicine  that  will  cure  him  while  he  continues  the  irritating 
cause ;  the  doctor,  inherently  honest,  knows  his  patient  is  a  liar  and  a  fool, 
but  he  also  knows  he  is  only  one  of  many  and  instead  of  refusing  to  touch 
the  case,  except  under  his  own  conditions,  he  accedes  to  the  patient's  de- 


2q6  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

mands  so  far  as  giving  the  dope  is  concerned,  although  he  knows  it  cannot 
work,  even  were  it  a  specific,  because  the  patient  will  not  give  it  a  chance* 
At  first  the  doctors  were  forced  to  do  this  or  starve,  because  there  were 
always  dishonest  ones  who  would  take  chances.  At  first  it  was  a  criminal 
form  of  insanity  on  the  part  of  the  doctors,  but  now  it  is  only  a  passive 
form  due  to  ignorance  and  custom.  Every  old  school  doctor  knows  this  to  . 
be  true.  We  want  the  neurologist  to  eradicate  this  form  of  insanity  in  his 
own  ranks,  if  it  exists,  by  a  rugged  honesty  with  himself  and  his  patient 
and  help  knock  it  out  of  the  others  by  going  directly  to  the  cause ;  in  short, 
educate  the  people. 

Alleged  dietaries,  fads  of  hot  and  cold  water,  patent  medicine  claims 
and  other  minor  classes  of  insanity  are  all  put  under  one  heading  called^ 
"idiosyncrasies." 

One  of  the  classes  we  have  to  combat  comprises  those  with  what  they 
call  a  conscience.  Their  trouble  has  assumed  such  a  keen  form  that  they  in- 
sist they  must  continue  their  self-imposed  missionary  duties,  even  though 
broken  in  health,  but  they  demand  that  we  render  relief  anyhow.  About  the 
best  dose  for  it  is,  "You  pay  me  too  high  a  compliment:  you  assume  that 
God  can't  run  his  business  without  your  help,  but  that  I  can,  thus  you  make 
me  greater  than  God,  which  is  conclusive  proof  that  you  are  crazy.,, 

Another  form  is  that  which  is  produced  by  unnatural  physical  causes, 
such  as  operations.  Statistics  of  castrated  women  show  that  78  per  cent  suf- 
fered notable  loss  of  memory ;  60  per  cent  flashes  of  heat  and  vertigo ;  50  per 
cent  became  more  irritable;  42  per  cent  suffered  mental  depression;  10  per 
cent  verged  upon  melancholia;  in  75  per  cent  diminution  of  sexual  desire; 
in  a  few  cases  there  was  sexual  hyper-excitability;  12  per  cent  noted  a 
change  in  their  voice;  15  per  cent  suffered  irregular  attacks  of  skin  di- 
seases; 25  per  cent  had  headaches;  5  per  cent  insomnia.  The  mental  ef- 
fects as  well  as  the  physical  ones  will  nearly  always  yield  to  our  methods, 
but  in  all  reason  it  must  take  longer  than  if  the  patient  were  all  present 
or  complete.  The  exhibit  of  insanity  in  such  cases  is  that  with  sections  of 
them  scattered  about  the  country,  promiscuously,  they  expect  miracles 
of  us. 

Neurology  is  not  a  miracle  business.  It  is  not  a  faith  cure.  It  is  not  a 
dope  cure.  It  it  is  not  a  man  cure.  It  is  simply  a  method  of  rational  prac- 
tice,requiring  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  chemistry  and  mechanics  of  the 
human  body,  what  it  subsists  upon,  the  laws  of  physics  and  the  ability  to 
use  them  in  analyzing  cases  and  finding  the  causes  of  human  ills.  The  pa- 
tient does  the  treating  and  Nature  does  the  curing.  The  neurologist  bosses 
the  job  and  gets  the  fee,  and  he  gets  a  good  one,  or  he  is  crazy. 

Applause  is  sounding  brass  and  hollow  barrels.  Those  who  clap  the 
loudest  at  the  conclusion  of  a  song  are  invariably  those  who  conversed 
incessantly  during  its  rendition. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION.  207 

QUIZ. 

i.  What  is  metaphysics? 

2.  What  is  logic? 

3.  What  is  dogmatism? 

4.  What  is  psychology? 

5.  V/hat  is  genesis? 

6.  What  is  orthodoxy? 

7.  What  is  heterodoxy? 

8.  What  is  heresy? 

9.  What  is  an  idea? 

10.  What  is  theory? 

11.  What  is  mind? 

12.  What  is  knowledge? 

13.  What  is  learning? 

14.  What  is  erudition? 

15.  What  is  education? 

16.  What  is  language? 

17.  What  is  theology? 

18.  What  is  sociology? 

19.  What  is  politics? 

20.  What  is  law? 

21.  What  are  statutes? 

22.  What  is  theosophy? 

23.  Which  is  greatest,  Christian  God  or  Christian  devil? 

24.  What  is  anatomy? 

25.  What  is  physiology? 

26.  What  is  histology? 

27.  What  is  the  chief  duality  of  the  brain? 

28.  What  are  the  four  grand  divisions  of  the  brain? 

29.  What  are  the  two  grand  divisions  of  the  nerves? 

30.  What  are  the  two  sources  of  nerve  supply? 

31.  What  are  the  two  grand  functions  of  nerves? 

32.  What  are  some  subdivisions? 

33.  What  is  the  duality  of  lung  function? 

34.  Which  lung  is  the  largest,  and  why? 

35.  What  are  the  grand  divisions  of  the  heart? 

36.  What  are  the  valves  of  the  heart? 

37.  What  is  the  duality  of  the  circulatory  system? 

38.  What  is  meant  by  the  pulmonary  system? 

39.  What  is  the  systemic  circulation? 

40.  What  is  the  portal  system? 

41.  What  is  the  lymphatic  system? 

42.  What  are  lacteals? 


20g  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

43.  What  are  the  mesenteries? 

44.  What  are  ganglia? 

45.  What  are  plexuses? 

46.  What  are  commissures? 

47.  What  is  the  function  of  the  spleen? 

48.  What  is  the  function  of  the  pancreas? 

49.  What  is  the  function  of  the  stomach? 

50.  What  is  the  function  of  the  liver? 

51.  What  are  the  functions  of  the  kidneys?. 

52.  What  are  the  functions  of  the  supra  renal  capsules? 

53.  What  are  the  functions  of  the  intestines? 

54.  What  does  the  abdominal  cavity  contain? 

55.  What  does  the  thoracic  cavity  contain? 

56.  How  does  the  stomach  perform  its  function? 

57.  What  is  ingestion? 

58.  What  is  digestion? 

59.  What  is  assimilation? 

60.  What  is  congestion? 

61.  What  is  osmosis? 

62.  What  is  anastomosis? 

63.  What  is  urea? 

64.  What  is  uric  acid? 

65.  What  is  albumen? 

€6.  What  is  carbon  dioxide? 

€7.  What  constitutes  the  alimentary  canal? 

68.  What  is  the  difference  between  muscles  and  ligaments? 

69.  What  are  tendons? 

70.  What  are  ligaments? 

71.  To  what  structures  are  muscles  attached? 

72.  How  many  lobes  has  the  liver? 

73.  What  is  a  peculiarity  of  the  spleen? 

74.  Where  is  the  thyroid  gland? 

75.  Where  is  the  thymus  gland? 

76.  How  many  cervical  vertebrae  are  there? 

77.  How  many  dorsal? 

78.  How  many  lumbar? 

79.  How  many  sacral? 

80.  How  many  coccygeal? 

81.  What  is  the  atlas? 

82.  What  is  the  axis? 

83.  What  muscles  operate  the  tongue? 

84.  How  many  bones  in  the  body? 

85.  What  are  the  viscera? 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION. 


209 


86.  What  are  the  pleurae? 

87.  What  is  the  pericardium? 

88.  What  is  the  periosteum? 

89.  What  is  the  peritoneum? 

90.  What  is  the  perineum? 

91.  What  is  the  endocardium? 

92.  What  are  the  principal  arteries? 

93.  What  is  the  innominate  artery? 

94.  What  are  the  principal  veins? 

95.  What  are  the  regions  of  the  abdomen? 

96.  What  are  the  bones  of  the  ear? 

97.  How  can  the  portal  veins  be  known  from  the  hepatics  when  the 
liver  is  opened? 

98.  What  is  a  gauge? 

99.  What  is  neurology? 

100.  What  is  a  dynamic  test? 

101.  What  is  a  static  test? 

102.  What  is  accommodation? 

103.  What  is  convergence? 

104.  What  is  co-ordination? 

105.  What  is  inco-ordination? 

106.  What  is  a  sphincter  muscle? 

107.  How  many  layers  form  the  eye? 

108.  How  many  layers  in  the  retina? 

109.  Where  is  Schlemm's  canal? 
no.  Where  is  Jacob's  membrane? 
in.  Where  is  the  zone  of  Zinn? 

112.  Where  is  Muller's  muscle? 

113.  What  is  the  uveal  tract? 

114.  What  are  tunics  of  the  eye? 

115.  What  is  the  macula  lutea? 

116.  What  is  the  visual  axis? 

117.  What  is  the  tunica  vaginalis? 

a  1 8.  Where  is  the  capsule  of  Bonnet? 

119.  Where  is  the  capsule  of  Tenon? 

120.  How  many  layers  in  the  cornea? 

121.  What  is  the  index  of  refraction  of  the  eye? 

122.  Where  is  Bowman's  muscle? 

123.  Where  is  Descemet's  membrane? 

124.  Where  is  Dollinger's  band? 

125.  What  does  hyaloid  mean? 

126.  What  does  vitreous  mean? 

127.  Where  is  Pettit's  canal? 


2io  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

128.  How  many  muscles  has  each  eye? 

129.  What  are  the  optic  thalami? 

130.  What  are  the  corpora  geniculata? 

131.  What  are  corpora  quadrigemina? 

132.  What  is  the  optic  commissure? 

133.  What  are  tautamina  oculi? 

134.  Where  are  the  lachrymal  glands? 

135.  What  is  the  ciliary  body? 

136.  What  is  the  corpus  callosum? 

137.  What  is  natural  philosophy? 

138.  What  is  physics? 

139.  What  is  force? 

140.  What  is  light? 

141.  What  is  density? 

142.  What  is  refraction  of  light? 

143.  What  is  an  indejx  of  refraction  ?- 

144.  What  is  reflection  of  light? 

145.  Of  what  value  is  reflection? 

146.  What  is  dispersion? 

147.  What  is  absorption? 

148.  What  is  a  ray  of  light? 

149.  What  is  a  beam  of  light? 

150.  What  is  a  pencil  of  light? 

151.  Where  does  refraction  occur? 

152.  How  does  it  occur? 
I53«  What  is  a  horizontal? 
154.  What  is  a  vertical? 

I55«  What  is  a  perpendicular? 

156.  What  is  an  oblique? 

157.  What  is  a  parallel? 

158.  What  is  an  incident  ray? 

159.  What  is  a  reflected  ray? 

160.  What  is  a  refracted  ray? 

161.  What  is  an  emergent  ray? 

162.  What  are  the  angles  of  the  four  above  named? 

163.  What  two  things  regulate  the  amount  of  refraction? 

164.  What  is  the  first  law  of  refraction? 

165.  What  is  the  limit  angle  of  refraction? 

166.  What  important  lesson  does  it  teach? 

167.  What  is  a  prism? 

168.  What  is  the  first  law  of  prisms? 

169.  What  is  the  second  law  of  prisms? 

170.  How  are  prisms  utilized  in  forming  lenses? 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION.  211 

171.  How  many  kinds  of  lenses  are  there? 

172.  Describe  the  axes  of  lenses? 

173.  What  is  meant  by  the  focus  of  a  lens? 

174.  How  many  focuses  has  a  lens? 

175.  What  are  the  differences  between  them? 

176.  What  are  the  principal  points  and  planes  of  a  lens? 

177.  What  is  a  radius? 

178.  What  is  a  diameter? 

179.  What  is  a  nodal-point? 

180.  How  many  has  a  lens? 

181.  What  is  a  toric  lens? 

182.  What  is  chromatic  aberration? 

183.  What  is  spherical  aberration? 

184.  What  is  an  achromatic  lens? 

185.  What  is  an  aplanatic  lens? 

186.  What  is  an  astigmatic  lens? 

187.  What  is  a  sphero-cylindrical  lens? 

188.  What  is  a  cylindrical  lens? 

189.  Explain  the  differences  between  prisms,  spheres,  cylinders,  etc. 

190.  What  is  the  relation  between  density  of  mediums  and  rate  of 

speed  at  which  rays  travel? 

191.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  radius  of  a  piano  convex 

lens  and  a  bi-convex  of  the  same  power? 

192.  The  focus  and  index  being  given  how  shall  we  find  the  radius  of 

curvature  necessary? 

193.  The  focus  and  radius  being  given  how  shall  we  find  the  index? 

194.  The  radius  and  index  being  given  how  shall  we  find  the  focus? 

195.  What  is  a  lenticular  lens? 

196.  How  does  a  +  sphere  form  images? 

197.  How  does  a  —  sphere  form  images? 

198.  What  is  meant  by  a  virtual  image  ? 

199.  Why  are  images  always  inverted  if  formed  by  a  single  dioptric 

system? 

200.  What  is  a  double  dioptric  system? 

201.  Why  do  we  take  air  as  our  standard  of  refraction? 

202.  What  is  the  index  of  air  compared  with  glass,  the  latter  being 
regarded  as  the  standard? 

203.  How  many  ways  are  there  of  finding  the  conjugate  foci  of  a  lens? 

204.  What  lesson  is  thus  taught? 

205.  How  far  from  a  lens  must  an  object  be  placed  in  order  that  its 

image  will  be  as  large  as  the  object? 

206.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  diopter? 

207.  What  does  it  represent  as  commonly  used? 


212  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

208.  What  is  a  No.  1.00  lens? 

209.  What  is  a  meter? 

210.  If  an  object  be  placed  26  inches  from  a  -f-  400  lens  where  will  the 

image  be?*  Why? 

211.  If  an  image  is  10  inches  from  a  -f-  5-oo  lens  where  is  the  object? 

212.  If  an  object  is  32  inches  from  a  lens  and  the  image  is  12  inches 

on  the  other  side  how  strong  is  the  lens? 

213.  What  is  a  meniscus  lens? 

214.  What  chemical  class  does  glass  belong  to? 

215.  What  is  the  difference  between  transposing  prescriptions  and 

neutralizing  lenses? 

216.  What  is  a  meridian? 

217.  What  geometric  duality  is  utilized  in  lenses? 

218.  How  would  you  convert  a  pair  of  cross-cylinders  into  a  sphero- 

cylinder  if  the  axes  were  not  at  right  angles  to  each  other? 

219.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  cross-cylinder  and  a  sphero- 

cylinder  lens? 

220.  What  would  be  the  effect  of  refraction  upon  rays  starting  from 

a  point  nearer  to  a  lens  than  its  principal  focus? 

221.  What  is  the  effect  on  objects  seen  through  a  +  ^ens  &  tne  object 

is  beyond  a  conjugate  focus  with  the  eyes? 

222.  What  lesson  is  taught? 

223.  How  does  light  travel? 

224.  What  are  constants? 

225.  What  are  inconstants? 

226.  What  are  laws? 

227.  What  are  rules? 

228.  What  is  the  optical  center  of  a  lens? 

229.  What  is  a  decentered  lens? 

230.  Why  does  a  —  curvature  focus  at  one-fourth  of  its  focal  length? 

231.  How  may  we  measure  a  compound  lens  with  out  a  lens  measure 

or  test  lenses? 

232.  What  is  diffraction? 

233.  What  is  refrangibility? 

234.  Transpose  +  2-oo  —  1.00  ax.  180  to  simplest  form. 

235.  Transpose  +  1.50  —  1.50  ax.  140  to  simplest  form. 

236.  Transpose  +  1.50  —  2.00  ax.  45  to  simplest  form. 

237.  Transpose  +  1.50  ax  90  C  +  1.50  ax  180  to  simplest  form. 

238.  Transpose  +  1.50  ax  45  Q  —  3.00  ax  135  to  sphero-cyl. 

239.  Transpose  +  150  +  1.50  ax  90  so  the  signs  will  differ. 
240..  .Transpose  —  2.00  —  5.00  ax  180  so  signs  will  differ. 

241.     What  are  the  principal  meridans  of  a  lens  ground  from  the  fol- 
lowing prescription:   -f-  1.50  ax  45        —  2.50  ax  15? 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION. 


213 


242.  What  sphero-cylinder  will  have  same  effect? 

243.  Neutralize  -f-  3.00  ax  180  C  —  4«°o  ax  45  and  give  sphero-cyl- 
inder that  does  it. 

244.  What  sphero-cylinder  would  have  same  effect  as  above  cross 
cylinder? 

245.  The  glasses  needed  in  a  case  are  L,  -{-  1.75  -f-  .50  ax  90;  R,  -p 
2.00  4-  1.00  ax  45.  An  optician  gave  L,  -f-  1.00  —  1.00  ax  180;  R.  +  1.50 
—  .50  ax  135.     How  far  wrong  was  he? 

246.  Another  case  needed  L,  —  .75  -f-  2.50  ax  180;  R,  —  1.00  +  3.00 
ax  go.  Was  given  by  an  oculist,  L,  —  1.50  —  1.50  ax  90;  R,  —  2.00 
ax  90.    What  would  correct  his  mistake? 

247.  Transpose  -f-  12.00  +  3.00  ax  90  to  a  toric.  x 

248.  Transpose  —  6.00  +  11.00  ax  90  to  a  cross  cylinder. 

249.  Transpose  +  2-°o  +  2-°o  +  2.00  ax  45  into  a  sphero-cylinder. 

250.  Why  is  it  that  cross  cylinders  can  always  be  duplicated  by 
sphero-cylinders  even  if  the  axes  are  not  at  right  angles? 

251.  How  many  kinds  of  natural  light  are  there,  name  them? 

252.  What  is  spasm? 

253.  How  may  we  classify  them? 

254.  What  class  is  most  common? 

255.  What  are  the  extremes  physiologically? 

256.  What  are  their  peculiarities  respectively? 

257.  Under  what  circumstances  would  you  prescribe  spherical  + 
lenses. 

258.  Under  what  circumstances  would  you  prescribe  spheres  perma- 
nently when  the  test  demanded  a  compound? 

259.  When  would  you  prescribe  a  cylinder  if  the  test  showed  a  com- 
pound error? 

260.  When  would  you  prescribe  compounds  if  the  test  demanded 
simply  cylinders?  t 

261.  When  would  you  prescribe  -+-  lenses  if  the  test  showed  myopia? 

262.  How  often  should  the  normal  heart  beat? 

263.  How  often  should  respiration  occur? 

264.  If  the  heart  misses  beats  what  is  indicated? 

265.  Does  age  have  any  influence  in  determining  what  to  do  for  a 
patient? 

266.  What  are  idiosyncrasies? 

267.  What  is  the  true  "fogging"  system? 

268.  Under  what  circumstances  would  you  guarantee  good  results? 

269.  Why  would  you  not  guarantee  a  case  if  the  patient  requested  it? 

270.  How  should  fees  be  collected  and  why? 


214 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


271.  How  would  you  meet  the  objection  that  patient  did  not  want  to 
pay  or  could  not  pay  until  work  was  done? 

272.  If  a  case,  measured,  showed  a  preponderance  of  symptoms,  indi- 
cating the  necessity  for  rest  from  usual  avocation  and  patient  said  he  could 
not  comply  with  the  requirement,  what  would  you  do  and  why? 

273.  Suppose  a  patient  applied  to  you  to  correct  his  eye  defects  and 
he  would  risk  the  rest,  what  would  you  do? 

Most  devilish — jealousy. 

Most  popular — applause. 

Most  dangerous — flattery. 

Most  truthful — a  mirror. 

Most  plentiful — ignorance. 

Most  annoying — carelessness. 

Most  disgusting — affectation. 

Most  foolish — to  think  it  fools  folks. 


In  the  half  circle  from  o  to  180,  Fig.  A,  are  648,000  seconds.  Refraction 
of  oblique  rays  of  light  by  glass  is  limited  to  an  angle  of  about  fifty  de- 
grees on  either  side  of  the  perpendicular,  so  that  a  ray,  approaching  the 
surface  of  glass  obliquely  below  the  40th  or  140th  meridian  suffers  total 
reflection.  Therefore,  if  the  360,000  seconds  in  the  100  degrees  between 
these  two  meridians  each  represented  a  ray,  only  one  would  pass  through 
without  refraction,  viz. :  the  one  on  the  line  marked  90. 


Fig.  A 

In  considering  mentalities  we  must  keep  within  smaller  limits,  say 
from  the '45th  to  the  135th  meridian,  which  gives  90  degrees  or  324,000 
seconds.  Let  the  648,000  seconds  from  o  to  180  represent  as  many  people, 
of  whom  324,000  are  within  the  limit  angles  of  sanity  and  we  find  but  one 
of  them  is  perpendicular,  or  absolutely  balanced.  How  many  readers 
know  such  a  person?  Let  those  below  the  lines  45  and  135  represent  child- 
ren, those  confined  in  institutions  (and  indians,  not  taxed),  and  we  have 
the  physical  proof  that  only  one  person  in  every  324,000  is  not  a  little 
peculiar. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


215 


ANSWERS. 

1.  A  Greek  word  meaning  "after  physics"  according  to  Aristotle,  who 
believed  physics,  or  the  science  of  natural  bodies  to  be  the  first  subject  for 
study  and  that  inquiry  into  the  origin  and  functions  of  the  mind  is  the 
next  in  order. 

2.  The  science  or  art  of  reasoning  correctly. 

3.  Arrogance.     Bull-headed  ignorance,  usually. 

4.  The  study  of  the  mind. 

5.  Beginning. 

6.  Belief  in  Christian  dogmas. 

7.  Disbelief  in  Christian  dogmas. 

8.  Heterodoxy. 

9.  An  integer  of  thought. 

10.  A  product  of  reasoning,  logically  or  illogically. 

11.  That  infinite  possession  that  dominates  the  will. 

12.  Positive  information  with  proofs. 

13.  Knowledge. 

14.  Book  learning. 

15.  Knowledge  or  book  learning. 

16.  Spoken  or  written  expression. 

17.  The  art  or  science  of  theorizing;  speculation  or  reasoning. 

18.  Pertains  to  the  conduct  of  society. 

19.  The  science  of  government. 

20.  Natural  order  and  justice. 

21.  Legislative  enactments,  called  laws. 

22.  A  claim  of  personal  intercourse  with  God  as  a  person. 

23.  The  devil  evidently,  because  the  bible  says  none  are  without  sin 
and  under  Christian  influences  evil  prevails. 

24.  The  science  of  the  structure  of  the  body. 

25.  The  science  of  the  functions  of  the  body. 

26.  The  elements  in  the  structure  of  the  body. 

27.  Intellect  and  mechanics. 

28.  Cerebrum,  cerebellum,  pons  varolii  and  medulla  oblongata. 

29.  Cerebro-spinal  and  sympathetic. 

30.  Chemical  reactions  and  molecular  friction. 

30.  Chemical  reactions  and  molecular  friction. 

31.  Sensation  and  motion. 

32.  Special  senses  and  heat,  vaso-motor  and  musculo-motor. 

33.  Oxygenization  and  decarbonization. 

34.  The  right  because  it  has  more  room  to  develop. 

35.  Right  and  left  auricles,  right  and  left  ventricles. ' 

36.  Eustachian  and  tricuspid  on  right  side,  mitral  and  semilunar  on 
the  left. 


2I5  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

37.  Arteries  and  veins. 

38.  The  vessels  that  convey  the  blood  from  the  heart  to  the  lungs  and 

return. 

39.  The  arteries  and  veins  that  convey  the  blood  through  the  body. 

40.  It  is  formed  by  the  superior  and  inferior  mesenteric,  splenic  and 
gastric  veins  which  convey  crude  blood  from  the  digestive  apparatus  to 
the  liver;  these  unite  behind  the  head  of  the  pancreas  to  form  the  portal 
vein. 

41.  An  absorbent  system  which  carries  certain  elements  to  and  from 

the  blood. 

42.  A  part  of  the  lymphatic  system  connecting  the  small  intestines 

with  it. 

43.  Folds  of  the  peritoneum. 

44.  Semi-independent  nerve  centers. 

45.  A  network  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  more  nerves  or  ves- 
sels. 

46.  A  union  of  nerves  similar  to  a  plexus. 

47.  To  assist  in  preparing  crude  blood.    An  organ  of  assimilation. 

48.  To  supply  juices  for  chemical  reaction  on  food  in  the  duodenum. 

49.  To  do  the  coarse  work  of  digestion. 

50.  To  extract  glucose  and  urea  from  the  blood  and  supply  bile  for 
use  with  the  pancreatic  juices  in  the  duodenum. 

51.  To  extract  urine  from  the  blood. 

52.  To  furnish  antitoxin  to  the  blood. 

53.  To  assist  in  digestion  and  excrete  waste. 

54.  Stomach,  spleen,  pancreas,  liver,  kidneys,  bladder,  procreative  ap- 
paratus, many  vessels  and  nerves  and  the  peritoneum. 

55.  Lungs,  heart,  aorta,  esophagus,  pleura  and  pericardium. 

56.  By  mechanical  actions  and  chemical  reactions. 

57.  Swallowing  food. 

58.  Assimilation  of  food. 

59.  Absorption. 

60.  Dilation  of  any  vessel  or  tube,  the  stomach,  bladder  or  other  organ 
from  overloading. 

61.  The  act  of  passing  liquids  or  other  substances  through  walls,  by 
pressure,  which  are  otherwise  impenetrable. 

62.  The  junction  of  vessels.  Synonymous  with  plexus  as  used  with 
reference  to  nerves. 

63.  The  principal  solid  of  urine. 

64.  An  acid  found  in  the  urine  of  mankind,  particularly  those  who 
eat  much  meat  and  starchy  food,  such  as  patent  breakfast  foods,  so  widely 
advertised. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


217 


65.  One  of  the  chief  constituents  of  the  body.  The  white  of  eggs  is 
nearly  all  albumen. 

66.  Carbonic  acid  gas  a  form  of  waste  discharged  through  the  lungs. 

67.  The  mouth,  pharynx,  esophagus,  stomach,  duodenum,  jejunum, 
ileum,  caecum,  colon,  rectum,  anus. 

68.  The  first  have  nerves,  the  second  none. 

69.  White,  nerveless  cords  supporting  the  muscles  in  various  parts 
of  the  body. 

,  70.  Bands  of  white,  fibrous  tissue,  non-nervous  and  elastic,  utilized 
in  some  places  as  substitutes  for  muscles,  notably  the  suspensory  ligaments 
of  the  ciliary  body,  at  the  union  of  joints,  etc. 

71.  Usually  to  the  periosteum.  In  organs,  to  the  hard  coat,  as  the 
sclerotic  of  the  eyes. 

72.  Really  two,  but  in  the  right  lobe  are  three  lobules,  so  the  anatom- 
ists say  five. 

73.  It  is  one  of  the  ductless  glands;  the  others  are  the  supra-renal 
capsules,  the  thyioid  and  thymus  glands. 

74.  It  comprises  two  lobes,  one  on  either  side  of  the  trachea,  each  is 
about  two  inches  long,  an  inch  thick  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  wide.  Its 
function  is  obscure,  but  it  appears  to  have  much  to  do  with  nutrition. 

75.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  neck  and  upper  end  of  the  thoracic 
cavity,  behind  the  sternum  or  breast  bone.  It  is  a  temporary  organ  and 
usually  atrophies  and  disappears  about  the  age  of  puberty. 

76.  Seven. 

77.  Twelve. 

78.  Five. 

79.  Five. 

80.  Four. 

81.  The  first  cervical  vertebra. 

82.  The  second  cervical  vertebra. 

83.  Hypoglossus,  styloglossus,  genio-hypo-glossus,  and  palato-glossus. 

84.  Two  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  counting  thirty-two  teeth. 

85.  Contents  of  the  head,  thoracic  and  abdominal  cavities. 

86.  The  sack  containing  the  lungs. 

87.  The  sack  containing  the  heart. 

88.  Tough  connective  tissue  surrounding  bones. 

89.  The  lining  of  the  abdomen,  enclosing  all  the  viscera,  except  the 
kidneys,  which  lie  between  it  and  the  posterior  wall. 

90.  The  structure  between  the  genital  organs  and  the  anus. 

91.  The  lining  of  the  heart. 

92.  The  aorta,  two  coronary,  innominate,  left  common  carotid,  left 
subclavian,  and  common  iliacs. 


2i8  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

93.  It  arises  from  the  arch  of  the  aorta,  is  about  two  inches  long  and 
divides  into  the  right  common  carotid  and  right  subclavian. 

94.  The  pulmonary,  systemic  and  portal.  Of  the  systemic,  the  superior 
and  inferior  vena  cava,  the  innominate,  the  subclavian,  the  jugular,  the  ili- 
acs  and  cardiacs. 

95.  They  are  nine.  In  the  middle  are  the  epigastric,  umbilical,  hypo- 
gastric ;  on  the  right,  the  right  hypochondriac,  right  lumbar,  right  inguinal ; 
on  the  left,  the  left  hypochondriac,  left  lumbar,  left  inguinal. 

g6.     Hammer,  anvil  and  stirrups. 

g7.  By  the  portal  being  closed  while  the  hepatic,  being  attached  to  the 
body  of  the  organ,  are  open. 

98.  A  measure  or  standard. 

99.  The  science  of  the  nerves  and  accessories. 

100.  A  nerve  test  under  pressure. 

101.  A  nerve  test  with  pressure  removed. 

102.  Adjustment  of  the  crystalline  lens. 

103.  Fixing  the  two  eyes  on  a  near  object  at  once. 

104.  Working  accommodation  and  convergence  at  once  in  the  proper 
relation  for  near  points. 

105.  Working  accommodation  for  distance  when  convergence  is  not 
needed  but  comes  automatically,  or  converging,  in  myopia  when  accommo- 
dation is  not  needed  but  comes  automatically. 

106.  A  circular  one  around  an  opening  or  in  such  a  position  as  the 
sphincter  muscle  of  the  ciliary  body. 

107.  Sclerotic,  choroid,  pigment,  retina,  hyaloid. 

108.  Membrana  limitants  interna,  optic  nerve  fibres,  ganglionic,  in- 
ternal molecular,  internal  granular,  external  molecular,  external  limiting 
membrane,  Jacob's  membrane  or  layer  of  rods  and  cones. 

109.  At  the  sclero-corneal  junction;  sometimes  called  Fontana's  space, 
no.     Rods  and  cones  of  retina. 

in.  The  space  around  the  optic  nerve  entrance  where  the  ophthalmic 
artery  branches  pierce  the  sclerotic. 

112.  In  anterior  portion  of  ciliary  body.    Is  of  doubtful  existence. 

113.  The  vascular  layers  comprising  the  choroid,  ciliary  body  and 
iris. 

114.  The  several  layers. 

115.  The  field  of  most  acute  sensitiveness  at  the  posterior  pole.  It  is 
not  a  "yellow  spot,"  as  the  name  implies. 

116.  It  is  the  optical  axis. 

117.  A  fibrous  structure  enclosing  the  eyeball  forming  a  cushion  be- 
tween it  and  the  walls  of  the  orbit. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


219 


118.  The  portion  of  the  tunica  vaginalis  posterior  to  where  the  muscles 
pass  through  it. 

119.  The  portion  of  the  above  anterior  to  where  the  muscles  pass 
through  it. 

126.  Five:  Layer  of  conjuctival  epithelium,  anterior  elastic  layer, 
true  tissue,  posterior  elastic  layer,  posterior  epithelial  layer. 

i2i.  Aqueous  humor,  1.33;  crystalline,  1.40;  vitreous,  1.33;  as  a  whole, 
1.50. 

122.  It  is  the  ciliary  sphincter. 

123.  The  fourth  layer  of  the  cornea. 

124.  The  suspensory  ligaments  of  the  iris. 

125.  Brittle  or  glass-like. 

126.  Transparent  or  glass-like. 

127.  Around  the  edge  of  the  crystalline  lens. 

128.  Two  intrinsic,  the  sphincters  of  the  iris  and  ciliary  body;  six 
extrinsic,  the  superior  and  inferior  oblique,  and  four  recti. 

129.  They  are  sensory  ganglia  at  the  base  of  the  brain. 

130.  Two  small  eminences  on  the  thalami. 

131.  They  are  the  optic  lobes  of  the  brain,  four  projections  under  the 
corpus  callosum,  or  great  brain  commissure;  the  two  anterior  are  called 
nates  and  the  posterior  are  called  testes. 

132.  The  place  where  the  two  optic  nerves  divide  and  cross. 

133.  The  appendages  of  the  eyes. 

134.  At  the  upper  outer  corner  of  the  orbits. 

135.  The  folds  of  choroid,  suspensory  ligaments,  sphincter  muscle  and 
canal  of  Pettit. 

136.  The  great  commissure  or  switchboard  of  the  brain  situated  in  the 
middle  of  the  head. 

137.  Reasonable  thought  according  to  Nature's  laws. 

138.  The  demonstrable  branch  of  natural  philosophy. 

139.  That  which  causes  or  arrests  motion. 

140.  The  product  of  natural  or  artificial  forces. 

141.  Compactness,  solidity. 

142.  The  change  in  its  course  a  ray  suffers  in  passing  obliquely  from 
one  transparent  medium  to  another  of  different  density. 

143.  The  relative  density  of  one  transparent  medium  compared  with 
another  of  greater  or  less  density. 

144.  The  repulsion  of  approaching  rays. 

145.  If  it  were  not  for  reflection  we  could  see  nothing  except  luminous 
objects. 

146.  The  splintering  of  rays  into  their  elementary  parts;  as  exhibited 
by  colors. 


220  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

147.  That  which  is  lost  in  the  body,  of  the  lens. 

148.  A  beam  or  a  pencil. 

149.  A  ray  or  a  pencil. 

150.  A  beam  or  a  ray. 

151.  At  the  connecting  surface  between  two  mediums. 

152.  When  a  beam  or  ray  or  pencil  approaches  obliquely,  but  within 
the  limit  angle  that  part  crossing  the  dividing  line  moves  faster  or  slower, 
according  to  the  relative  density  of  the  mediums  and  the  ray  is  thus  broken 
so  that  its  course  is  changed. 

153.  A  line  from  horizon  to  horizon  tangent  to  a  globe. 

154.  A  line  at  right  angles  to  horizontal. 
I55-     A  line  at  right  angles  to  any  other  line. 
J  56.     A  line  neither  vertical  nor  horizontal. 

3:57.     Two  lines  equally  distant  from  each  other  constantly. 

158.  A  ray  as  it  approaches  the  surface  connecting  two  mediums  is 
called  incident. 

159.  That  portion  of  an  incident  ray  which  is  repelled  at  the  connect- 
ing surface  between  two  mediums. 

160.  An  incident  oblique  ray  is  broken  at  the  connecting  surface 
between  two  mediums  and  is  called  the  refracted  ray. 

161.  The  refracted  ray  as  it  emerges  from  the  medium  in  which  it 
acquired  the  name  refracted  is  renamed  emergent.  Thus  questions  158,  159, 
160,  161  give  us  four  sections  of  the  same  ray. 

162.  The  angles  are  formed  by  the  four  sections  named  and  the  per- 
pendiculars to  the  surfaces  at  the  points  where  refraction  occurred. 

163.  The  density  of  the  mediums  and  the  angles  of  incidence. 

164.  That  rays  are  broken  out  of  their  course  toward  the  perpendicu- 
lar in  entering  the  denser  medium  and  from  the  perpendicular  in  entering 
the  rarer  medium. 

165.  The  angle  at  which  total  reflection  occurs — about  500  from 
the  perpendicular,  in  glass. 

166.  That  there  is  a  limit  angle  to  everything;  laws,  rules,  ability, 
temper,  etc. 

167.  A  transparent  wedge. 

168.  Rays  are  always  broken  toward  the  base  line. 

169.  That  objects  seen  through  a  prism  are  always  apparently  dis- 
placed toward  the  apex. 

170.  In  multitudinous  quantities  of  different  angles  so  that  curved 
surfaces  are  formed.  For  +  spheres  they  are  grouped  bases  toward  a 
central  point ;  for  —  spheres  they  are  reversed.  For  -f-  cylinders  they  are 
arranged  on  either  side  of  a  line,  bases  in ;  for  —  cylinders  they  are  placed 
bases  out. 


1CETAPHTSICAL   PORTION.  22I 


171.  Two:    sphericals  and  cylindricals,  and  each  of  these  are  two 
.and  — . 

172.  There  are  two,  principal  and  secondary;  the  first  is  a  line  drawn 
through  the  center  or  centers  of  curvature,  therefore  is  perpendicular  to  both 
surfaces  and  passes  without  a  refraction,  hence  it  is  called  the  principal 
axis.  The  secondary  axes  include  all  lines,  drawn  from  an  object  to  its 
image,  which  cross  the  principal  axis  at  the  optical  center  of  a  lens. 

173.  Focus,  according  to  the  Greeks,  means  "fire-point."  As  we  use 
it  the  point  where  rays  meet  on  the  axis  after  passing  a  lens  is  called  its 
focus. 

174.  Four:     Two  principal  and  two  conjugate. 

175.  The  first  are  the  points  on  either  side  from  which  rays  starting 
divergent  toward  a  lens  will  be  rendered  parallel  by  it,  or,  the  points  on 
either  side  where  rays,  which  were  parallel  to  its  axis  on  approaching  a 
lens  are  brought  to  a  focus  by  it.  They  are  fixed  points  and  have  no  rela- 
tion to  each  other.  The  second  are  the  points  respectively  from  which 
rays  leave  an  object  and  approach  a  lens  divergent  to  be  converged  to  a 
point  where  the  image  is  formed  after  passing.  They  are  movable  and  are 
yoked  together  as  the  rays  from  the  first  or  objective  point  form  the  second 
or  subjective  point,  the  image. 

176.  The  points  on  the  principal  axis  essential  to  schematic  demon- 
stration of  structure  and  function,  and  the  lines  drawn  at  right  angles  to 
the  axis  through  those  points. 

177.  A  line  from  center  to  periphery  of  a  circle. 

178.  A  line  drawn  from  one  side  of  a  circle  to  the  other  through  the 
center. 

179.  Truly,  a  center  of  curvature.  For  optical  purposes,  the  points  on 
the  principal  axis  where  secondary  axis  rays  would  cross  if  they  suffered 
no  refraction. 

180.  Of  the  first  a  piano  lens  has  but  one.  Of  the  second  all  lenses 
have  two. 

181.  A  symmetrically  curved  yet  not  a  spherical  lens.  A  segment  of 
a  tore. 

182.  The  color  effect  from  dispersion  of  light. 

183.  The  lack  of  perfect  focus  on  account  of  the  progressive  increase 
of  curvature  toward  the  edge  of  a  -j-  sphere  which  causes  the  edge  rays  to 
focus  sooner  than  those  nearer  the  axis. 

184.  One  that  comprises  crown  and  flint  glass  in  such  arrangement  as 
prevents  chromatic  aberration. 

185.  An  arrangement  of  crown  and  flint  glass  so  that  both  chromatic 
and  spherical  aberration  are  prevented. 


222  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

1 86.  One  of  non-spherical  curvatures,  consequently  without  a  focus. 

187.  One  in  which  there  is  a  combination  of  sphere  and  cylinder. 

188.  One  comprising  a  segment  of  a  cylinder  only. 

189.  A  prism  held  a  few  inches  from  the  face  while  objects  are  ob- 
served through  it  displaces  them  toward  its  apex,  but  moving  the  prism 
back  and  forth  across  the  line  of  vision  causes  no  movement,  while  rotating 
it  does.  A  sphere  may  be  rotated  without  causing  motion  but  shaking  it 
does  move  objects;  +  moves  against,  except  when  object  or  operator  is 
beyond  conjugate  focus,  when  it  reverses ;  —  moves  objects  with  the  operat- 
or's motion.  Cylinders  distort  objects  when  rotated,  move  them  only  when 
moved  back  and  forth  across  the  axis  or  toward  and  from  the  operator. 
Combinations  betray  the  presence  of  the  different  elements  by  their  con- 
duct. 

190.  The  speed  of  rays  in  different  mediums  is  inversely  as  the  density; 
that  is,  if  glass  is  50%  denser  than  air,  a  ray  will  move  50%  faster  in  the 
air  than  in  the  glass,  consequently  the  angle  of  incidence  is  always  as  much 
larger  than  the  angle  of  refraction  as  the  index  of  the  denser  medium  is 
greater  than  the  index  of  the  rarer. 

191.  The  latter  would  have  to  be  each  twice  the  former. 

192.  Multiply  the  focus  by  the  index  less  1.00.  Thus,  glass  is  1.53; 
use  only  the  .53. 

193.  Divide  the  radius  by  the  focus  and  prefix  1. 

194.  Divide  the  radius  by  the  index  less  1. 

195.  A  small  lens  ground,  or  cemented,  in  the  center  of  a  piano  glass 
of  desired  size.  They  are  rarely  used  except  for  myopes  of  high  degree  or 
after  cataract  operations.    The  object  is  to  reduce  weight. 

196.  By  refraction. 

197.  By  reflection. 

198.  There  is  no  such  a  thing.  The  so-called  virtual  images  of  alleged 
authorities  are  really  virtual  objects.  The  operator  observes  an  object 
through  a  lens  and  sees  an  apparently  reduced  or  enlarged  object,  as  he 
uses  a  —  or  +  lens- 

199.  Because  the  combination  has  a  common  optical  center. 

200.  One  in  which  there  are  two  single  systems,  or  combinations, 
having  two  separate  optical  centers.  Images  formed  by  them  are  erect, 
that  is,  right  side  up. 

201.  Because  it  is  the  medium  through  which  light  comes  to  us. 

202.  Considering  glass  1.50  the  index  of  air  would  be  .66  2/3  be- 
cause 1. 00  is  two-thirds  of  1.50;  but  glass  is  to  be  regarded  as  1.53  the 
index  of  air  would  be  exactly  .65424183  +  because  1.53  will  go  into  1.0a 
that  fractional  part  of  one  time. 

203.  Two,  theoretical  and  practical. 


METAPHYSICAL   PORTION. 


223 


204.  That  all  things  are  learned  by  such  methods. 

205.  Twice  the  principal  focal  distance. 

206.  To  see  through. 

207.  A  unit  of  measure. 

208.  One  which  will  receive  parallel  rays  and  focus  them  one  meter 
beyond. 

209.  A  French  unit  of  measure;  in  our  inches  it  equals  39.368-)-. 

210.  At  16  inches,  because  the  rays  from  26  inches  required  +1.50 
power  to  render  them  parallel  and  remaining  +  2-5o  of  the  +  4.00  would 
focus  them  again  at  16  inches  beyond. 

211.  At  40  inches  on  the  other  side,  because  10  inches  required  +  4.00 
on  the  image's  side  leaving  +  1.00  to  do  the  work  on  the  rays  from  the 
object  and  as  +  1.00  equals  40  inches  the  position  of  the  object  is  located. 

212.  The  first  conjugate  focus  being  32  inches  equals  +  1.25  while  the 
second,  12  inches  equals  -f-  3.25  the  lens  must  equal  both  or  -f-  4.50. 

213.  One  shaped  like  a  new  moon. 

214.  Salts. 

215.  The  first  is  theoretical  and  the  second  a  practical  proposition. 

216.  As  we  use  it,  a  line  drawn  from  center  to  periphery  of  a  circle  or 
from  side  to  side  through  the  center,  the  same  as  a  radius  or  diameter. 

217.  Straight  lines  and  curves. 

218.  By  neutralization. 

219.  Practically  none.     Either  can  be  duplicated  with  the  other. 

220.  They  would  be  still  divergent  after  passing  the  lens,  although 
not  so  much. 

221.  The  effect  is  the  same  as  if  it  were  a  —  lens. 

222.  That  all  -p,  or  positive  influences  become  — ,  or  negative,  if  over- 
done. 

223.  In  straight  lines. 

224.  Those  things  which  are  fixed. 

225.  Those  things  which  are  changeable. 

226.  Principles  that  work  mathematically,  as  cause  and  effect. 

227.  Guides  to  action  or  conduct  based  upon  laws. 

228.  The  point  where  secondary  axial  rays  cross  the  principal  axis. 

229.  One  in  which  the  optical  axis  is  not  in  the  center  of  the  circum- 
ference. 

230.  Because  the  angle  of  reflection  always  equals  the  angle  of  inci- 
dence. 

231.  By  measuring  the  foci  of  the  two  principal  meridians. 

232.  The  deflection  light  suffers  in  passing  through  a  small  aperature. 

233.  Same  as  refraction. 

234.  -|-  1.00  +  I-00  ax  9°- 


224  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

235-  +  1.50  ax  50. 

236.  —  .50  -f-  2.00  ax  135. 

237.  -j-  1.50  sphere. 

238.  +  i-5o  —  450  ax  135. 
239-  +  3-oo  —  1.50  ax  180. 

240.  —  7.00  +  5.00  ax  90. 

241.  90  and  180. 

242.  -J-  .50  —  2.00  ax  180. 

243.  —  2.00  +  5-°o  ax  60. 

244.  -|-  2.00  —  5.00  ax  60. 

245-     L,  -f-  1.25  +  .50  ax  180;  R,  +  1.00  +  .50  ax  90. 

246.  L,  -f-  2.25  +  1.00  ax  180;  R,  +  1 .00  +  5.00  ax  90. 

247.  -f-  8.00  -f-  4.00  +  3-00  ax  9°- 

248.  —  6.00  ax  180  ks  -f-  5.00  ax  90. 

249.  -f-  4.00  +  2.00  ax  45. 

250.  Because  of  the  natural  law  that  all  regular  non-spherical  curva- 
tures have  their  two  principal  meridians  at  right  angles. 

251.  Sunlight,  lightning,  phosphorescence,  fire-flies,  glow-worms,  etc. 

252.  A  nervous  convulsion  exhibited  locally. 

253.  As  mental  or  hysteria  and  physiological  or  involuntary  func- 
tional activity. 

254.  That  called  clonic  physiological. 

255.  Tonic  spasm  and  neurasthenia. 

256.  The  first  is  dangerous  locally,  that  is  it  might  cause  hemorrhages 
in  stout  people  or  a  stroke  of  paralysis  affecting  a  part.  The  other  is  dan- 
gerous to  life. 

257.  Whenever  in  doubt.  They  cannot  do  harm  and  always  do  some 
good. 

258.  When  the  sphere  is  extra  strong  and  the  cylinder  less  than  1.00; 
for  example,  -f-  10.00  -j-  1.00  ax.  90,  give  either  -f-  10.50  bi-convex  thus 
making  the  flattest  surfaces  and  saving  the  chromatic  and  spherical  aberra- 
tion ;  also  for  myopes  of  high  degree. 

259.  In  mixed  astigmatism  or  compound  myopia,  where  the  spheres 
are  ■ —  .50  or  less  and  vision  without  them  is  as  good  as  20/30. 

260.  When  —  cylinders  give  20/20,  combine  enough  sphere  to  reduce 
vision  to  20/30.     * 

261.  Sometimes  a  patient  appears  to  be  a  myope  requiring  —  1.00  ax. 
180  or  less  cylinder  to  give  20/20  vision  but  will  see  as  well  with  a  +  cylin- 
der, axis  reversed,  as  he  did  with  naked  eyes,  and  of  course  the  4-  would 
be  prescribed.  Or  a  myope  requiring  —  2.00  ax.  180  for  distance,  or  even 
more,  and  being  presbyopic  would  need  a  -j-  cylinder  of  same  strength,  axis 


METAPHYSICAL    PORTION-. 


225 


reversed,  for  near  work.     Or  a  simple  myope  of  less  than  2.00  D.  might 
require  -f-  i-°o  for  reading. 

262.  Forward  and  back  about  seventy-eight  times  a  minute  in  adults, 
slightly  faster  in  children,  and  slower  in  old  folks. 

263.  Inspire  and  expire  about  eighteen  times  a  minute. 

464.  Nothing  particularly  unless  the  misses  are  frequent  and  regular. 
If  constant  and  weak  it  signifies  nerve  weakness  in  the  cerebellum.  Ifl 
periodic  and  strong  it  means  nerve  irritation: 

265.  Yes.  Children  and  old  people  must  be  treated  more  delicately, 
because  the  first  have  not  yet  matured  and  the  others  are  on  the  decline. 

266.  They  are  usually  mental  hobbies  associated  with  real  physiologi- 
cal conditional  disturbances,  and  are  a  little  more  difficult  to  deal  with  be- 
cause the  patient  is  less  liable  to  follow  instructions  and  more  liable  to 
deceive  us. 

267.  It  consists  of  securing  the  voluntary  and  involuntary  confidence 
of  the  patient,  mentally  and  physiologically  by  mental  and  mechanical 
methods,  which  tell  us  truly  when  it  is  accomplished  and  when  it  is  not  we 
know  how  to  proceed.  Of  course  if  there  are  no  indications  of  winning  the 
only  thing  to  do  is  to  dismiss  the  case  without  further  effort. 

268.  Only  when  a  patient  did  not  ask  it  and  I,  knowing  it  was  a  posi- 
tively easy  case,  wanted  to  fog  the  patient  fully;  that  is  impress  my  own 
confidence. 

269.  Because  the  request  would  imply  a  doubt,  inasmuch  as  the  old 
school  doctors  dare  not  guarantee  anything,  and  I  would  not  yield  that 
much  because  it  would  rather  tend  to  increase  his  distrust.  I  would  ask 
him  if  any  other  doctor  ever  guaranteed  anything,  and  if  not,  why  I  should. 

270.  Always  in  advance,  because  if  a  patient  has  paid  his  money  he 
will  be  more  apt  to  follow  instructions. 

271.  By  the  plain  statement  that  I  am  running  my  own  business  and 
have  to  do  it  my  way  or  not  at  all.  Then  I  would  explain  that  I  could  not 
afford  to  do  other  than  my  best  and  that  anyone  not  willing  to  trust  me 
should  not  become  my  patient. 

272.  Refuse  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  case,  because  I  would 
thus  avoid  responsibility  for  a  disastrous  termination  of  the  trouble,  and  by 
refusing  I  might  force  him  to  come  to  my  terms  and  thus  insure  good* 
results. 

273.  I  would  refuse  because  he  has  no  right  to  ask  me  to  involve  my 
reputation  or  judgment  and  he  has  no  right  to  assume  his  opinions  in  such 
matters  are  as  good  as  mine. 


I  would  rather  my  child  should  grow  up  and  have  different  ideas  from 
mine  if  he  could  prove  their  correctness,  than  to  have  him  adopt  mine  as 
correct  because  I  say  they  are. 


MEMORANDUM 


MISCELLANEOUS  PORTION 


MISCELLANEOUS  PORTION 


THE  MATTER  OE  EEES 


The  Doctor  Who  Can  Secure  Good  Results  Should  Charge  Correspondingly 

for  His  Work. 


Skill  is  not  always  displayed  in  doing  things.  Sometimes  it  is  much  more 
creditable  to  wait,  and  it  is  always  true  that  one  should  not  do  a  thing  till 
he  knows  why  he  does  it.  An  old  preceptor  once  told  me,  ''Any  damned 
fool  can  give  medicine ;  it  takes  a  good  doctor  to  know  when  to  withhold 
it."  The  practice  of  a  profession  is  not  manual  labor,  it  is  not  to  be  meas- 
ured in  value  by  the  amount  of  time  it  takes  to  secure  the  results  or  to 
make  an  examination,  but  it  is  to  be  valued  by  the  skill  of  the  practitioner. 
If  one  values  his  ability  at  so  much  per  visit  in  the  practice  of  medicine, 
making  no  distinction  between  the  different  cases,  he  is  practically  admit- 
ting that  they  are  all  the  same  to  him,  as  indeed  they  are,  because  he  keeps 
up  his  visits,  at  so  much  per,  until  the  patient  recovers,  or  dies,  and  he  an- 
swers my  argument  by  saying  that  is  the  way  he  gets  more  for  a  typhoid 
fever  case  than  for  an  attack  of  measles. 

I  say  that  is  the  reason  nearly  all  doctors  are  poor — they  are  not  busi- 
ness men.  The  ones  who  made  the  code  of  ethics  are,  however;  they  have 
succeeded  in  putting  "honor"  to  the  profession  above  honor  to  self  and 
the  public,  and  they  are  reaping  the  harvest. 

All  other  practitioners  "diagnose"  cases  and  "treat"  them,  claiming 
"cures,"  etc.  Neurologists  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  They  analyze  condi- 
tions, figure  their  cases  out  and  teach  patients  how  to  "treat"  themselves, 
so  that  Nature,  the  only  "healer,"  can  have  the  best  possible  chance  to 
"cure."  They  practice  no  mysteries,  and  restrict  their  work  to  those  who 
are  mentally  able  to  comprehend  and  follow  instructions,  and  physically 


2^0        '  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

competent  to  come  to  their  offices.  We  laugh  at  the  polysyllabic  names 
given  to  alleged  diseases,  such  as  amenorrhoea,  dysmenorrhoea,  menorrha- 
gia,  apoplexy,  epilepsy,  chorea,  albuminuria,  chlorosis,  dyspepsia,  tubercu- 
losis, neuralgia,  rheumatism,  endometritis,  prostatorrhoea,  trachoma,  be- 
cause we  know  that  all  ills  come  from  either  shock  or  strain  inflicted  upon 
the  nervous  system ;  that  the  effects  exhibited  are  different  as  the  locations 
of  the  causes;  that  a  symptom  can  mean  nothing  definite  until  its  cause 
has  been  ascertained;  and  here  is  our  strong  point:  we  know  how  to  as- 
certain. We  have  a  method  of  measuring  the  nervous  system  so  perfectly 
that  we  are  not  only  able  to  locate  causes  of  troubles,  but  we  can  measure 
the  damage  done,  and  find  the  extent  of  the  supply  left  for  recuperative 
purposes,  so  that  we  can  tell  our  patients  exactly  what  their  chances  are 
and  how  much  liberty  they  can  take  with  Nature  without  danger  to  their 
lives  and  health.  We  do  not  pretend  to  either  treat  or  cure — only  liars 
do  that — but  we  impress  on  patients  their  responsibility.  Our  services 
are  almost  like  a  lawyer's ;  inasmuch  as  we  first  know  our  profession,  then 
advise,  and  assist.  Our  services  are  valuable,  and  really  cheap,  because  we 
get  good  results  in  the  very  cases  where  others'  methods  failed  and  the 
practitioners  pronounced  them  chronic. 

To  examine  eyes  as  we  do  it  is  worth  ten  dollars  of  anyone's  money. 
To  make  a  general  examination  is  worth  twenty-five  dollars.  And,  as 
nearly  all  cases  of  eye  trouble  have  run  so  long  a  general  examination 
is  needed,  I  have  ceased  to  make  any  examination  for  less  than  twenty-five 
dollars.  Often  that  is  all  the  expense  to  the  patient,  however,  so  it  is 
cheap  after  all. 

If  a  neurologist  takes  a  case  that  has  been  pow-wowed  over  for  fifteen 
or  sixteen  years  by  practitioners  of  old  methods,  he  must  charge  a  good  big 
fee  for  two  reasons:  First,  it  is  worth  a  good  deal  to  such  people  to  get 
well;  second,  if  the  fee  is  not  unusually  high  many  old  chronics  will  have 
less  confidence  in  the  method,  for  they  come  to  have  a  pride  in  being  "the 
worst  ever."  And,  no  matter  if  one  knows  he  and  Nature  can  make  a 
perfectly  well  individual  in  a  few  weeks,  to  say  so  would  appear  pre- 
sumptuous to  those  who  have  long  looked  on  their  troubles  as  uncon- 
querable; hence  it  is  most  diplomatic  and  conducive  to  success  to  take 
cases  at  the  other  fellow's  estimates,  and,  at  most,  promise  only  partial 
relief  soon,  and  a  complete  cure  in  a  few  months.  This  has  two  good 
effects,  one  on  the  patient's  mentality  in  the  matter  of  importance  of  the 
case,  and  the  other  on  his  physical  system  in  giving  it  more  time,  under 
your  care  and  instructions,  to  recuperate  to  a  normal  standard.  Get  your 
entire  fee  in  advance  for  two  reasons:  First,  you  are  sure  of  it;  second, 
the  patient  knows  the  cost  and  if  he  wants  the  worth  of  his  money  he 
will  follow  instructions  better,  and  thus  insure  best  results. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


231 


NEUROLOGY'S  PROCLAMATION. 
We  Offer  Skill  and  Integrity  to  a  Suffering  Public,  and  Will  Insist  on  the 

''Square  Deal." 

A  doctor  of  neurology,  (N.  D.),  is  one  qualified  through  the  study 
of  Nature's  laws,  as  applied  physiologically,  to  instruct  others  in  the  sci- 
ence of  health  so  that  they  may  secure  health  and  retain  it,  provided  they 
follow  the  advice.  In  other  words,  the  true  neurologist  is  a  health  lawyer, 
and  people  who  want  the  best  of  everything  and  are  willing  to  pay  for  it 
are  the  only  clients  he  cares  for.  This  is  not  so  much  because  he  wants 
the  money  as  because  people  with  such  rational  ideas  will  understand 
readily  that  cures  depend  entirely  upon  themselves  and  Nature.  They 
have  intelligence  enough  to  understand  the  true  value  of  health  and  the 
true  value  of  the  advice,  which,  when  followed,  insures  it. 

So-called  diseases,  such  as  are  named  dyspepsia,  headache,  indigestion, 
constipation,  piles,  and  all  kinds  of  female  troubles,  dullness  in  children, 
bed-wetting,  St.  Vitus'  dance,  epilepsy,  cold  hands  and  feet,  and  many 
others,  are  simply  derangements  of  the  nervous  system  which  do  not 
need  medicine,  and  despite  the  fact  countless  tons  of  it  have  been  taken 
and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  paid  for  it,  good  results  come  not. 
A  mechanical  cause  is  one  thing  and  a  chemical  cause  is  another.  All 
causes  must  affect  the  nervous  system  before  they  can  do  possible  damage. 

The  nervous  system  heats  the  body;  it  affords  the  sensations  of  sight, 
hearing,  taste,  etc. ;  it  affords  the  motive  power  for  the  organs  and  tubular 
systems  as  well  as  locomotion,  and  it  is  the  medium  through  which  the 
warnings,  pain  and  fever,  are  transmitted  and  by  which  we  are  enabled 
to  trace  the  causes  to  their  sources.  If  we  find  them  to  be  mechanical  we 
reach  them  by  rest,  by  dietary,  by  correction  of  habits  and  adjustment  of 
defects  and  displacements.  If  we  find  them  to  be  chemical,  instead  of 
giving  medicine,  we  make  the  necessary  changes  in  diet,  both  quanti- 
tatively and  qualitatively.  We  have  no  secrets  from  our  patients.  We 
do  nothing  in  a  mysterious  way.  (That  is  the  sole  prerogative  of  the 
Almighty.)  We  have  no  fear  of  our  patients  assuming  to  practice  with- 
out first  qualifying  as  we  did,  hence  we  do  not  write  our  prescriptions  in 
Latin.  It  is  true  we  accomplish  things  that  are  wonderful  to  the  average 
mind.  They  are  just  as  wonderful  to  the  old-school  doctor  as  to  the  lay- 
man, because  our  methods  are  entirely  foreign  to  those  of  old  schools,  but 
we  will  be  glad  to  explain  them  and  show  their  simplicity  to  either. 

One  of  the  notable  things  accomplished  by  our  methods  is  that  fat 
people  are  reduced  and  lean  people  increased  on  the  same  diet.  This  is 
bcause  in  the  first  instance  we  take  away,  for  a  time,  the  food  elements 
that  are  necessary  to  maintain  so  much  flesh,  hence  it  follows  the  natural 
law  of  cause  and  effect  and  comes  down.  In  the  second  instance  the  quality 
being  such  as  to  build  up  the  nerve  and  muscle  departments  enables  the 


232 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


patient  to  assimilate  his  food  better  by  increasing  the  dynamics  of  his  sys- 
tem, both  chemically  and  mechanically.  It  has  been  proved  so  abundantly 
in  the  twelve  years  that  neurology  has  been  established,  that  it  admits  of 
no  argument. 

Another  thing  which  might  be  regarded  as  wonderful  is  that  we  are 
able  to  diagnose  many  conditions  and  their  causes  by  looking  into  the 
eyes  with  an  ophthalmoscope.  Hence  we  call  them  our  blood  gauges ;  we 
are  also  able  to  use  the  eyes  to  measure  the  condition  of  the  nerve  supply 
so  accurately  that  we  can  tell  our  patien't  age  when  we  have  finished.  (To 
those  who  are  sensitive  about  the  subject  we  will  say  all  such  matters  are 
professional  secrets  with  us.)  Incidentally,  of  course,  we  measure  and 
correct  eye  defects  because  in  using  them  for  nerve  gauges  we  must  first 
make  them  perfect.  We  are  not  oculists  nor  opticians  nor  eye  specialists ; 
we  are  neurologists,  which  means  much  more,  because'  many  .alleged  eye 
diseases,  often  treated  by  the  month  and  year,  get  well  in  a  week  or  less 
when  our  advice  is  followed. 

Another  wonderful  thing,  which,  to  us,  is  just  as  simple  as  the  above, 
is  the  manner  in  which  our  patients  recover  from  floating  kidney  or  female 
troubles,  without  surgery  or  other  humiliation.  . 

In  a  nutshell,  neurology  is  a  science  of  diagnosis  and  analysis  which 
makes  every  practitioner  who  understands  it  an  authority,  because  he  finds 
causes,  when  the  remedy  suggests  itself,  and  here  we  will  give  away  the 
great  secret  of  our  success :  The  old  schools,  having  been  taught  that  cer- 
tain symptoms  indicate  certain  causes  and  certain,  drugs,  proceed  upon 
that  philosophy.  Our  pioneers  found  that  was  wrong.  They  found  that 
one  case  may  produce  many  different  effects,  and  those  effects  become 
the  causes  of  other  effects,  and  these  effects  become  the  causes  of  still 
other  effects,  and  so  on,  ad  infinitum.  Hence  the  old  school  methods  of 
treating  the  last  apparent  cause  was  a  mistake  because  it  was  really  treat- 
ing effects.  It  is  possible  that  in  some  cases  their  medicines  aided  nature, 
but  in  a  vast  majority  it  is  absolutely  certain  that  nature  did  the  curing  in 
spite  of  the  drugs.  Now  for  the  secret.  We  know  the  other  fellow  began 
at  the  bottom  and  worked  up.  He  failed.  We  begin  at  the  top  and  work 
down.  We  win  every  time  when  the  patient  follows  instructions.  The 
organs  of  the  body  are  the  brain,  eyes,  nose,  mouth,  ears,  lungs,  heart, 
diaphragm,  stomach,  liver,  pancreas,  spleen,  intestines,  kidneys,  bladder 
and  procreative  organs. 

When  a  patient  comes  to  us  we  first  ascertain  his  mental  capacity,  by 
observing  him  or  her  while  we  hear  the  complaints,  briefly,  by  which  we 
diagnose,  that  means  guess  at  the  mental  and  physical  conditions.  But 
we  do  not  prescribe  by  that,  as  old-school  doctors  do.  Next  we  ascertain 
the  financial  ability,  requiring  a  fee  in  advance,  from  those  who  are  able. 
(Those  who  are  destitute  shall  not  suffer  through  any  mercenary  motives 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


233 


on  our  part.)  Next  the  patient  either  leaves  or  we  proceed  to  analyze  the 
case  from  top  to  bottom.  We  test  every  machine  in  the  body,  and,  know- 
ing what  it  ought  to  be,  if  it  is  not  up  to  standard  we  direct  the  engineer 
to  run  slow.  If  it  is  in  a  very  bad  way,  or  if  several  departments  are 
involved,  we  shut  down  the  engine  entirely,  except  that  there  is  always  an 
involuntary  current  provided  by  nature  to  place  it  beyond  the  power  of 
man  to  kill  himself  or  others,  without  drugs  or  violence. 

No  person  need  have  any  fears  of  neurology  except  the  mercenary 
drug  doctor,  and  it  is  even  his  privilege  to  go  and  learn  it. 

Remember,  the  neurologist  is  not  a  cheap  doctor  in  the  sense  that  he 
works  for  so  much  a  day  or  a  visit,  or  for  small  amounts  of  money,  but  in 
the  sense  that  his  patients  get  most  for  their  money,  he  is  the  cheapest. 
He  does  not  solicit  patronage.  He  feels  that  he  is  conferring  a  favor  when 
he  takes  a  case  at  his  own  price,  particularly  after  all  other  methods  have 
failed,  and  he  takes  no  case  except  on  guarantee  that  the  patient  will  follow 
his  directions,  and  that  guarantee  must  be  supported  by  the  full  amount 
of  the  fee.  He  is  able  to,  and  would  guarantee  in  return,  that  Nature  will 
cure,  but  for  the  fact  that  other  doctors  consider  it  unethical  to  do  such 
things,  and  he  wants  to  be  as  respectable  as  they  are. 

Neurology  teaches  that  Nature  gave  us  natural  appetites  and  while 
they  are  easily  perverted,  we  believe  that  as  meats,  vegtabls,  nuts,  fruit, 
fish  and  fowl,  etc.,  are  palatable  and  harmless  when  taken  in  reasonable 
quantities,  we  have  sufficient  proof  that  all  were  intended  for  food.  Hence 
we  have  little  sympathy  with  either  the  cannibal  or  the  vegetarian;  both 
are  intemperate.  We  have  had  demonstrated  that  the  greater  the  pleas- 
ure, the  greater  the  reaction.  There  is  no  human  pleasure  so  great  as 
that  produced  by  the  sexual  act,  but  when  one  lets  it  run  away  with 
him  to  the  extent  that  he  cohabits  with  lewd  women  whose  physical  con- 
dition is  unknown  to  him,  <or  even  he  who  indulges  excessively  with  his 
wife,  suffers  the  most  excruciating  penalties,  either  from  syphilis  and 
locomotor  ataxia  from  the  first  cause  or  hypertrophy  of  the  prostatic  gland 
involving  the  bladder,  etc.,  and  finally  impotence  from  the  second  cause. 

While  neurology,  therefore,  teaches  temperance  unequivocally,  for 
common  sense  reasons  and  not  through  superstitious  fear  or  hope  of  hell 
or  heaven,  the  old  schools  teach,  by  inference  at  least,  and  thousands  of 
their  graduates  practice  the  rankest  intemperance  in  the  use  of  opium  and 
other  drugs  and  liquors,  as  well  as  contemptable  intolerance  toward  their 
fellow  men,  particularly  those  whom  they  regard  as  competitors.  We 
leave  the  public  to  judge  between  us. 

An  infidel  is  one  who  professes  to  believe,  but  whose  actions  belie  his 
words. 

If  you  want  to  be  right,  always  find  out  which  way  the  crowd  is  going 
and  go  the  other  way. 


2^a  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

SIGNIFICANCE  OF  PHYSIOGNOMY. 

Objective  Diagnostic  Characteristics  Which  are  Subject  to  Revision  by 

Other  Observers. 

Every  practitioner  should  cultivate  the  faculty  of  discernment  with 
particular  reference  to  the  physiognomy.  Of  course  it  is  important  that 
the  general  proportions  of  head,  body,  legs,  arms,  etc.,  are  correct,  but  from 
forehead  to  chin  and  from  ear  to  ear  tell  a  story  peculiarly  interesting  and 
accurate.  I  shall  only  give  my  experience  and  observation,  and  note  that 
there  are  occasional  exceptions  to  all  rules,  leaving  each  student  to  continue 
the  study  in  a  practical  manner. 

A  retreating  forehead  is  on  a  weak  mentality,  supported  by  a  weak 
constitution. 

A  retreating  chin  is  not  so  bad  as  the  above  but  is,  to  say  the  least 
erratic. 

A  round  face,  flat  in  front,  is  usually  on  an  opinionated  person.  Better 
look  out,  the  wearer  may  be  well  informed;  it  is  well  to  try  a  little  bluff, 
however,  that  is,  stir  it  up,  you  may  learn  something  worth  while;  if  you 
do  not,  you  will  have  a  friend; 'such  people  always  know  when  they  are 
known. 

A  narrow,  hatchet-face  is  jealous,  puts  on  a  great 'deal  of  pretense,  is 
stubborn,  generally  wrong  in  controversies,  and  hunts  trouble 'continually, 
often  finds  it,  and  is  most  content  when  making  others  miserable. 

A  low  forehead  is  not  so  bad  as  it  has  been  pictured.  The  owner  is 
usually  a  money  maker,  and  is  not  overly  conscientious,  but  there  are  lots 
of  worse  people. 

Square  jaws  indicate  a  conceit  that  is  intolerable.  Some  wearers  have 
learned  that  firmness  is  indicated.  Not  for  a  minute, 'unless  it  is  to  stick 
to  a  self -flattering  opinion.  They  frequently  pose  for  pictures,  usually  take 
pretty  good  ones,  but  always  expose  their  nerve.  They 'are  absolutely  in 
considerate  of  others  and  even  make  special  efforts  to  cause  inconvenience. 
There  is  not  naturally  an  honest  bone 'in  their  whole  anatomy;  they  may 
not  be  dishonest,  but  it  is  merely  because  the  opportunity  never  offered. 

High  cheek  bones  must  be  well  supported  'by  other  prominences,  or 
they  mean  a  weak  constitution.  If  surmounted  by  a  big  nose,  heavy  jaws 
and  have  a  large  head  back  of 'them,  you  could  not  kill  one  with  a  club. 

A  low,  flat  nose,  like  a  nigger's,  is  always  on  a '  smart-aleck ;  usually 
pretty  smart,  too,  but  very  disagreeable,  because  they  will  overstep  the 
bounds  of  politeness,  while  you  are  ashamed  to.  Don't  hesitate  to  sit  on 
them,  or  they  will  squat  on  you. 

A  low  nose  bridge  or  deep  set  eyes,  or  both,  usually  mean  hyperopic 
eyes,  hence  liver  and  stomach  troubles. 

Puffs  or  black  crescents  under  the  eyes  mean  interference  with  circu- 
lation of  blood  from  deficient  nerve  supply. 


MISCELLANEOUS    TORTION. 


235 


A  large  nose  nearly  always  indicates  good  nature  and  good  judgment, 
just  as  a  large  person  is  usually  good-natured.  Just  what  the  nose  has  to 
do  with  good  nature  I  do  not  know,  any  more  than  I  know  why  the  rest 
is  approximately  true,  but  the  coincidences  remain. 

A  mouth  that  droops  at  the  ends  is  quarrelsome. 

A  short  upper  lip  is  insanely  jealous,  loves  only  self,  is  susceptible  to 
flattery  and  will  imagine  they  love  anyone  who  gives  plenty  of  it.  They 
are  usually  "society"  people,  at  least  in  their  imagination,  and  are  satis- 
fied if  they  can  make  a  great  show.  Their  ambition  is  to  be  rich  and 
haughty.  They  rarely  get  the  former,  except  by  accident,  because  they 
put  in  too  much  time  being  haughty.     They  remind  one  of  head-servants. 

A  square  face,  front  view,  is  usually  quiet,  strongly  opinionated,  pretty 
reliable,  somewhat  unfathomable,  but  if  not  spoiled  in  the  raising,  are 
easy  to  get  along  with. 

A  mouth  that  turns  up  at  the  ends  is  attached  to  a  sweet  disposition, 
but,  if  not  well  supported  by  nose,  chin,  eyes  and  forehead,  indicates  a  silly 
person,  a  lack  of  stamina.  If  backed  properly,  'by  chin,  etc.,  they  are  the 
salt  of  the  earth. 

Thin  lips  are  attached  to  a  shrew  or 'a  tyrant.  Extraordinarily  thick 
lips  indicate  a  natural  coarseness,  which  may  be  trained  down  until  they 
are  very  excellent  people ;  they  are  usually  firm  friends. 

If  the  lower  lip  rolls  outward  and  hangs  down  it  means  a  natural  gos- 
sip, and  all  gossips  are  dangerous  to  the  peace  of  the  community  in  which 
they  live. 

People  with  straight  mouths,  like  a  slot  cut  in  the  face,  and  with  thin 
lips,  are  gossips  of  the  slanderous  kind. 

Eyes  too  close  together  mean  lack  of  stamina,  impetuosity,  poor  judg- 
ment, but  often  much  ability ;  such  people  are '  easily  influenced,  and  if  they 
fall  into  the  right  company  and  remain  there,  will  do  well. 

Eyes  too  far  apart  mean  ignorance  and  bigotry  every  time.  Such  per- 
sons were  born  wise — in  their  own  conceit — they  never  needed  to  learn, 
because  their  teachers  are  not  yet  born.     Avoid  them  and  escape  trouble. 

Eyes  that  twinkle  affectedly  as  they  look  at  you  do  so  because  they 
know  if  they  did  not  vascillate  you  would  discover  their  duplicity.  They 
haven't  sense  enough  to  know  you  discover  it  anyhow.  ' 

Black  eyes,  the  kind  that  are  like  coal  and  never  fade,  are  in  dangerous 
heads.  They  are  the  windows  of  jealous  brains  and  guide  a  hand  that  car- 
ries a  dagger.  They  are,  of  course,  highly  emotional,  love  and  hate  alter- 
nately the  same  object. 

Black  eyes  that  fade  with  advancing  years  are  found  in  amiable  people. 
They  are  usually  inclined  to  brag  and  would  rather  misrepresent  than  tell 
the  truth,  particularly  if  by  doing  so  they  can  make  even  a  momentary 


236  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

impression — it  lasts,  with  them,  all  the  time.     They  have  good  qualities, 
but  are  rarely  honest,  and  are  insufferably  lax  in  keeping  engagements. 

Brown  eyes  that  look  straight  at  you  are  amiable,  their  owners  quiet, 
and  faithful  to  their  friends.  They  have  no  great  amount  of  push  and  are 
content  with  what  the  fates  bestow,  not  given  to  puffing  themselves  and 
are  real  home  people,  if  of  average  size  or  larger. 

Gray  eyes  are  found  in  a  steady-going  people,  reliable  as  planetary 
evolutions,  rarely  set  the  world  on  fire,  because  there  is  not  enough  frictio: 
in  their  make-up.     They  look  straight  at  you  and  see  clear  through  you 
too.     Don't  lie  to 'them  if  you  want  their  friendship.     If  they  do  not  look 
straight  at  you,  beware. 

Blue  eyes  are  in  honest  heads,  unless  they  are  too  pale  blue,  when  they 
are  tricky.  Of  course  association  has  much  to  do  with  character,  and  as 
there  are  more  blue  eyed  people  than  of  any  other  class,  they  will  requin 
more  careful  consideration  with  other  features,  because  in  reaching  final 
conclusions  all  must  be  considered;  several  good  points  mitigate  the  bad 
ones,  at  least  partly. 

Narrow  teeth  indicate  a  weak  constitution.  Short,  wide  teeth  mean 
endurance  and  tenacity,  even  to  stubbornness. 

A  long  upper  lip  means  obstinacy  in  matters  the  owner  understands,  a 
lack  of  it  in  other  matters;  usually  honest,  but  when  dishonest  they  go  to 
the  limit.    I  have  never  seen  such  a  person  who  was  jealous. 

Arched  eyebrows  indicate  vanity ;  straight  ones,  rascality ;  medium,  sig- 
nify nothing  in  particular. 

Ears  too  close  to  the  head  mean  selfishness.  If  they  stand  straight  out 
they  indicate  a  weak  character. 

Don't  trust  people  who  laugh  at  every  opportunity;  they  are  unreliable. 
The  woman  giggler  is  a  fool. 

Vertical  wrinkles  between  the  eyebrows  signify  eye  strain. 

"Crows-feet"  at  the  outer  angles  of  the  eyes  indicate  defective  eyes. 

Some  people  begin  at  the  top  of  the  ladder  and  go  down. 

When  one  boasts  of  his  expertness  it  is  positive  evidence  he  is  incom- 
petent. 

It  requires  educated  brains  to  get  the  good  out  of  machines,  no  matter 
for  what  purpose  the  implements  are  made. 

No  competent  practitioner  in  any  profession  or  trade,  needs  laws  to 
protect  him,  or  build  up  his  business.     All  he  needs  is  acquaintance. 

Before  one  is  competent  to  criticize  he  must  be  qualified  to  examine 
subjects  intelligently  and  be  armed  with  a  simple  method  of  making  analy- 
ses. There  are  certain  well-proved  natural  laws  which  apply  equally  to 
all  things.  According  to  these  laws  some  propositions  are  impossible  and 
can  be  settled  quickly.  Among  such  are  the  pretenses  of  those  who  declare 
that  all  whose  opinions  differ  from  theirs  are  crazy,  or  are  charlatans. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


237 


SEXUALITY  VS.  SENSUALITY. 
Reason  in  Battle  Array  Against  Christian  Superstition  and  Persecution. 

In  this  priest-ridden  country,  in  the  year  of  "our  Lord"  1905,  August 
9th,  $70,000  were  the  gate  receipts  at  a  prize-fight.  Athletics,  of  the  brutal 
foot-ball  order,  dominate  the  educational  institutions.  Christians  insult 
their  Creator  by  declaring  the  procreative  organs  are  indecent,  the  study  of 
them  vulgar  and  the  publication  of  instructions,  with  reference  to  their  in- 
telligent use,  obscene.  Crime  is  rampant,  libertines  stand  in  public  places 
and  insult  women  with  impunity;  trades-union  leaders  make  their  head- 
quarters at  sporting-house ;  society  airs  its  debauches  in  the  divorce  courts, 
putting  twelve-year-old  girl  keyhole  peepers  on  the  stand  to  witness;  the 
U.  S.  army  is  involved.  The  president  of  the  country  deplores  "race-suicide" 
and  keeps  in  office  sensual  scoundrels  who  persecute  intelligent  men  and 
women  for  writing  common  sense  advice,  which,  if  followed,  would  soon 
convince  the  world  that  it  is  better  to  have  fewer  children  and  more  perfect 
ones;  less  voters  but  healthy  ones.  The  men  who  are  commissioned  to 
censor  rational  productions  of  their  intellectual  superiors  are,  invariably, 
men  who  could  not  earn  a  hundred  dollars  a  month  were  they  not  political 
touts  and  natural  born  pimps.  The  "holy  bible"  contains  more  obscenity  to 
the  square  inch  than  any  other  book  I  ever  read.  It  teaches  only  the  sen- 
sual side  of  the  copulative  act  and  advises  against  it  as  a  sin,  but  advertises 
forgiveness  if  offenders  apply  at  the  right  place  and  pay  tithes. 

Let  us  take  a  look  at  this  subject  from  a  purely  rational  standpoint  and 
answer  without  prejudice : 

Why  should  we  regard  the  sexual  marks  as  any  more  lewd  than  any 
other  part?     I  do  not  know. 

Would  we  do  so  if  we  had  not  been  taught  to  so  look  upon  them?  I 
believe  not. 

Is  not  the  bible  story  that  Adam  and  Eve  covered  their  organs  with  fig- 
leaf  aprons  the  first  intimation  that  they  were  something  to  be  ashamed 
of?     Yes. 

Has  history  ever  disclosed  a  more  unvirtuous  people  than  Christians? 
No. 

If  the  subject  could  be  presented  to  us  as  physicians,  or  as  thinking 
laymen,  without  our  having  any  previous  information,  would  we  see  any- 
thing lewd  in  it?     I  can  not  see  why  we  should. 

Would  we  not  first  endeavor  to  learn  Nature's  reason  for  making  males 
and  females  different,  and  thus  learn  two  physiological  facts,  first  that  con- 
nection yields  the  acme  of  human  pleasures ;  second  that  reproduction  of  our 
species  occurs?     It  appears  so. 

Would  we  not  learn  next  that  overindulgence  produces  bad  after-effects 
in  the  male  by  weakening  his  vitality ;  in  the  female,  destroying  her  comli- 


238  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

ness  by  frequent  pregnancies,  and  to  both  by  burdening  them  with  greater 
responsibilities  than  they  can  maintain  properly?     I  think  so. 

Would  not  the  fact  that  the  pleasures  to  both  from  the  act  itself  en- 
courage research  that  they  might  have  the  pleasures  without  the  aftermath 
and  thus  they  come  to  a  better  understanding  of  what  Nature  intended? 
That  is  a  natural  conclusion. 

One  thing  is  certain:  No  statute  can  ever  change  Nature's  laws,  nor 
one  of  them.  God  gave  the  sexual  organs  and  sensations  to  mankind,  dif- 
ferent from  animals  in  almost  every  particular,  for  the  dual  purpose  of  pro- 
moting happiness  between  the  sexes  and  for  procreation.  How  do  I  know? 
Because  of  the  existence  of  the  two  facts. 

"But,"  one  says,  "it  brings  lots  of  unhappiness."  Yes,  when  indulged 
beyond  the  limit-angle,  and  under  present  social  conditions,  because  of  the 
Christian  training  which  makes  even  one  who  looks  upon  an  attractive 
woman  with  desire  "already  an  adulterer  in  his  heart,"  hence  subject  to 
punishment,  according  to  their  code,  unless  he  repents  and  pays. 

If  one  eats  to  excess,  or  of  the  wrong  kind  of  food,  persistently  it  causes 
unhappiness  too.  Is  that  lewd  in  the  estimation  of  these  "holier  than  thou" 
"scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites"  against  whom  Christ  pronounced  "Woe 
unto  you !" 

The  Christian  example  has  taught  the  young  men  that  if  they  can 
accomplish  the  sexual  act  by  persuasion,  even  under  promise  of  marriage, 
that  the  girl  thereby  forfeits  all  social  rights,  but  if  the  man  is  condemned 
at  all  it  is  only  for  a  few  days,  then  he  is  congratulated  on  his  "escape  from 
a  bad  woman."  Where  do  they  get  their  authority  for  this  discrimination? 
Christian  gossips  even  slander  lively  girls  whom  their  lewd  minds  suspect  of 
being  constituted  so  they  might  give  themselves  up  to  a  man  they  loved.  If 
such  people  were  prosecuted  until  they  learned  to  attend  to  their  own  busi- 
ness there  would  be  more  justice  done  and  more  jails  full  than  in  the  present 
condition. 

To  the  honest  student  of  Nature's  laws  all  were  devised  beneficiently, 
and  all  the  vile  curs  like  the  Comstocks  and  the  McAfees  can  not  prevent 
investigation  and  thought  and  the  dissemination  of  truths  about  all  subjects. 
I  have  never  seen  any  of  the  writings  of  intelligent  men  and  women,  upon 
the  sexual  relation,  that  come  anywhere  near  lewdness  as  it  appears  in  the 
bible.  I  have  never  seen  anything  that  could  possibly  have  worked  harm 
one-tenth  as  great  as  is  produced  by  the  ignorant  licentiousness  that  pre- 
vails to-day.  Here  is  a  case  in  point  from  New  York  dispatches  in  August  r 

Helen  Elster,  not  12  years  old,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Henry  Pabenz,  died  in 
the  Post  Graduate  Hospital  to-day  as  a  result  of  an  operation,  following 
which  the  child  gave  birth  to  a  fully  developed  babe.  Little  is  known  of  the 
history  of  the  case,  but  a  rigid  investigation  is  being  made.  The  child's 
mother  thought  she  had  some  dropsical  affection,  and  as  her  own  physician 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  2^Q 

could  make  nothing  of  the  case  she  sent  her  to  the  hospital.  The  physicians 
treated  the  child  for  girl  trouble  and  performed  the  operation  in  connection 
with  that.  The  physicians  reported  the  cause  of  death  as  eclampsia,  a  dis 
ease  of  the  kidneys,  and  declared  they  knew  nothing  about  the  child's  real 
condition  until  they  operated.  The  baby  is  alive,  and  the  physicians  say  it 
will  live. 

Incidentally  the  report  illustrates  the  absolute  incompetence  of  the  doc- 
tors at  the  hospital.  No  man,  educated' as  I  would  have  them  all,  would 
have  been  dishonorable  enough  to  have  put  the  child  in  such  a  condition ; 
and  no  girl  of  her  age,  trained  as  I  would  have  their  mothers  train  them, 
would  ever  permit  it,  unless  she  did  it  deliberately,  and  then  she  would  have 
no  hesitancy  in  telling  it  to  mother  or  doctor,  thus  saving  her  life,  possibly. 

As  to  the  sexual  organs  and  act  of  copulation,  physicians  know  little 
and  laymen  nothing.  In  my  classes  I  have  often  doctors  of  ten  to  thirty 
years'  practical  experience  who  could  not  tell  the  story  of  procreation  in 
detail,  from  the  testicles  of  the  male  to  the  ovaries  of  the  female,  if  their 
lives  depended  on  it,  but  they  can  describe  the  "pathological  anatomy"  of  a 
hundred  diseases  that  never  existed  outside  of  books.  They  know  how  to 
deliver  a  child  with  forceps  and  are  fully  convinced  that  no  child  was  ever 
born  right  until  the  obstetrician  and  the  trained  nurse,  in  uniform,  were 
discovered.  Yet  all  of  them  over  fifty  years  of  age  first  breathed  air  with 
no  other  and  than  good  stiff  uterine  contractions  in  their  mother  and  old 
maid  aunts  washed  and  dressed  them. 

The  young  licentiate  boasts  of  his  ability  to  sign  birth  and  death  cer- 
tificates according  to  law,  yet  his  professors  are  unable  to  recognize  the 
difference  between  dropsy  and  a  seven-months'  baby.  And  they  call  old- 
school  rnedicine  a  science. 

I  want  the  doctors  who  receive  this  book  to  remember  that  "doctor" 
means  '"teacher,"  that  it  is  their  duty  to  investigate,  learn  and  teach  their 
patients  how  to  keep  well  and  enjoy  the  blessings  Nature  has  bestowed. 
Men  and  Women  should  be  taught  the  truth  instead  of  fancies  and  foibles  of 
superstitious  minds. 

The  woman  has  as  much  right  to  pleasure  from  the  sexual  act  as  the 
man.  He  should  know  that  caresses,  from  pleasant  words  and  kisses  to 
copulation  constitute  the  sexual  function.  He  should  know  that  the  longer 
he  delays  the  final  act  the  greater  the  pleasure  for  both.  He  should  know 
that  the  orgasms  which  he  enjoys  are  harmful  to  him  if  repeated  too  often, 
because  each  time  he  empties  his  vesiculae  semenales  Nature  sets  machinery 
at  work  to  refill  them  and  that  takes  nervous  energy.  He  should  know  that 
total  abstinence  from  orgasms  is  almost  as  bad,  because  in  time  there  will 
be  atrophy  of  the  parts.  He  should  know  that  when  he  is  too  eager,  hence 
finishes  before  the  female  reaches  a  climax  it  is  bad  for  her  because  it  is 
both  physically  and  mentally  disappointing  and  produces  frigidity  in  her 


24O  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

when  nothing  else  would.  He  should  know  that  Nature  intended  him  to 
enjoy  the  act  without  going  to  the  point  of  ejaculation  each  time,  and  by  so 
doing  he  is  not  only  privileged  to  enjoy  it  more  frequently  but  he  endears 
himself  to  his  companion  by  giving  her  the  full  meed  of  pleasure.  He 
should  know  that  she  does  not  waste  vitality  by  her  orgasms  but  rather 
invigorates  her  apparatus.  But  she  should  be  permitted  to  lie  quiet  for 
some  time  after,  which  she  can  do  if  he  has  not  laid  her  liable  to  impregna- 
tion. More  woe  has  been  caused  to  women  by  arising  instantly  and  using 
a  syringe  with  either  hot  or  cold  water,  to  avoid  impregnation,  than  was 
ever  caused  by  emmenagogue  pills  or  abortion  doctors.  He  should  know 
that  to  give  pleasure  and  contain  himself  the  bodies  should  remain  close 
together.  To  get  the  instruction  direct  from  Nature,  let  the  usual  position 
be  reversed,  when  the  woman  will  instinctively  cling  closer,  while  the  man, 
remaining  passive,  has  a  mental  exaltation  in  the  consciousness  that  he  is 
master  of  himself  and  is  giving  her,  whom  he  loves,  the  maximum  benefit. 
This  has  been  called  male  continence  to  differentiate  it  from  the  inconti- 
nence which  is  a  sure  sequel  to  excessive  indulgence  to  the  point  of  ejacula- 
tion. 

I  have  frequently  met  the  assertion,  among  my  brethren,  that  conti- 
nence is  injurious.  I  invariably  reply  with  the  query,  "Why?"  Then  they 
begin  to  dodge ;  but  I  pin  them  down  and  find  them  utterly  ignorant  of 
every  feature  of  the  matter.  I  have  been  practicing  and  teaching  conti- 
nence for  twenty  years  and  have  yet  to  see  bad  results,  while  I  have  been . 
blessed  by  many  a  wife  whose  husband  attended  my  lectures  and  practiced 
their  teachings. 

I  have  also  met  an  argument  like  this:  "But  suppose  the' young  men 
and  women  learned  these  tactics  and  practiced  them?"  To  such  I  reply 
that  the  last  two  words  of  the  question  is  the  answer  that  would  prevent 
harm.  If  they  did  not  practice  them  conditions  would  remain  as  they  are 
now — bad. 

Christian  society  is  rotten.  Conditions  could  not  be  worse.  It  insults 
intelligence  infinite  and  mundane  by  denouncing  as  ''free-lovers"  all  who 
would  educate  their  fellows  to  honor  and  virtue,  and  crowds  the  courts  to 
secure  food  for  gossip  and  "proof"  that  the  sexual  topic  is  nasty,  obscene, 
etc.,  when  such  cases  are  from  their  own  putrid  ranks  ninety-nine  times  out 
of  a  hundred. 

As  proof  that  "ignorance  is  bliss"  this  same  Christian  society  to-day 
worships,  at  a  shrine  of  their  own  creating,  a  lovely  woman  whose  character 
is  above  suspicion  or  criticism,  whose  intellect  soars  above  theirs  like  an 
eagle  above  a  field  mouse,  yet  she  was  born  out  of  wed-lock,  but  is  a  pro- 
duct of  two  souls  as  truly  married  as  Nature  ever  performed  the  service. 
I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  her.  I  congratulate  her  parents  on  the  flatter- 
ing, practical  evidence  of  Nature's  approval.  If  this  be  obscene  make  the 
most  of  it. 


MISCELLANEOUS    TORTIOX. 


A  PATHETIC  SITUATION. 


241 


Young  Doctors  From  Old  Schools  Are  Kept  Down  by  Their  Elders  to 

Almost  Starvation. 

Quite  frequently  I  receive  letters  from  old  school  graduates  who  have 
been  struggling  against  the  adverse  conditions  created  by  a  fool  code  of 
ethics  and  their  older  competitors,  in  which  they  say,  "Of  course,  I  am  not 
yet  self-sustaining,"  etc.,  or  their  friends  write  or  call  with  the  same  story, 
asking  favors  in  their  behalf.  If  I  were  able,  financially,  to  give  my  time 
free  and  pay  my  own  expenses  while  teaching  them  a  practical  profession 
which  affords  results  to  patients  and  remuneration  to  the  doctors,  I  would 
be  glad  to  take  them  in ;  if  for  nothing  else,  to  show  the  code  the  contempt 
I  have  for  it  and  to  show  the  old  schools  how  little  they  are  worth  as 
breadwinners. 

But  the  question  comes  to  me:  Why  the  oft  repeated  expression  "of 
course,"  and  I  am  going  to  answer  it.  The  public  has  been  taught  by  the 
older  doctors  that  a  young  doctor  is  no  good  until  he  has  had  experi- 
ence. Now  that  is  either  true  or  false ;  if  true,  the  colleges  bunko  their  stu- 
dents out  of  four  years'  time  and  a  large  amount  of  money.  If  it  is  false, 
the  colleges  owe  it  to  themselves  to  prove  it.  I  know  it  is  true  of  the  old 
schools,  and  the  reason  is  they  teach  in  such  a  desultory  manner  that  nine- 
ty per  cent  of  their  graduates  have  only  a  vocabulary  and  a  swelled  head 
for  their  labors.  The  other  ten  per  cent  have  a  pull  and  get  a  start  by 
working  a  year  or  two  for*  some  old  practitioner,  or  accidentally  getting  a 
case  which  appears  desperate  and  recovers  while  in  their  care.  The  young 
doctors  have  made  serious  mistakes  in  diagnosis  and  in  prescribing  deadly 
drugs  from  memory  and  giving  overdoses;  being  unseasoned,  often  only 
on  the  verge  of  manhood  when  graduated,  they  are  not  able  to  maintain 
their  equanimity  and  the  public  catches  on,  to  their  discredit.  Somewhere 
in  the  neighborhood  of  fifty  students  of  the  Northwestern  and  Hahnemann 
pass  my  office  every  day  and  fully  half  of  the  number  are  tod  young  to 
get  in  my  school.  Some  are  dwarfs,  some  are  cripples,  and  many  swagger 
to  and  from  Greek-letter  fraternity  houses,  usually  a  cheap  boarding  ar- 
rangement, and  they  flatter  themselves  they  are  impressing  their  neighbors 
with  their  mightiness — a  form  of  self-deception  which  ruins  them  as  mix- 
ers and  loses  many  dollars  for  them  when  they  locate.  Section  2,  Article  V, 
of  the  "Principles  of  Medical  Ethics,"  commands  them  to  "maintain  a  pe- 
culiar reserve  toward  the  public,"  and  they  do  it  with  a  zest  that  would  be 
funny  were  it  not  so  pathetic  in  its  idiocy.  They  assume  the  public  to  be 
a  lot  of  fools,  and  that  becomes  so  offensive  it  provokes  retaliation  which 
takes  the  awful  form  of  ignoring  their  existence  absolutely. 

"Of  course"  it  is  complimentary  to  my  school  that  they  apply  to  it 
for  a  sure  means  of  success  after  the  old  schools  have  failed  to  qualify 


242 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


them  to  make  a  living,  but  I  cannot  see  why  I  should  be  asked  to  do  it  for 
nothing  or  on  credit.  However,  that  seems  to  be  the  way  of  all  the  vic- 
tims of  old  school  practices,  for  my  boys  and  girls  report  hundreds  of  cases 
annually  who  apply  for  treatment  after  the  other  fellows  have  failed,  and 
they  almost  invariably  declare  they  have  paid  doctors  about  all  they  are 
going  to,  evidently  expecting  to  thus  squelch  all  ideas  of  a  respectable  fee. 
It  is  worth  more  to  take  a  case  after  the  others  have  aggravated  it,  and 
they  soon  learn  that  fact,  too. 

Now  comes  the  worst  feature  of  it  all.  After  their  failures  with  drugs 
and  operations,  when  their  patients  leave  them  and  go  to  a  neurologist, 
who  has  been  taught  anatomy  and  physiology,  pathology,  dietetics,  oph- 
thalmology, neurology,  analysis  and  rational  therapeutics,  but  not  materia- 
medica,  bacteriology  and  histology,  they  fly  to  the  alleged  laws  and  want 
the  neurologist  prosecuted  as  a  criminal,  because  they  say  he  has  no  right 
to  compete  with  them  and  cure  their  patients  until  he  has  disqualified 
himself  as  they  did  by  patronizing  some  orthodox  school  for  four  years. 
By  what  system  of  reasoning  they  reach  the  conclusion  that  sickness  was 
intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  doctors  I  cannot  even  imagine.  Were  it 
not  for  the  rascality  of  politicians,  from  the  highest  in  authority  to  the 
lowest,  their  insolence  would  not  be  tolerated  for  a  week.  When  a  neu- 
rologist analyzes  a  case  and  finds  it  in  a  dangerous  condition  he  says  so 
promptly  and  if  the  patient  wants  a  dozen  doctors  of  as  many  kinds  he  has 
no  objection.  The  neurologist  is  the  only  doctor  who  analyzes  his  cases 
— all  others  diagnose;  that  is,  guess,  and  prescribe  one  of  a  great  variety 
of  formulae;  if  it  fails  to  show  benefit,  they  guess  again,  and  so  on  until 
the  patient  recovers  or  expires;  if  the  former,  medicine  has  won  a  victory; 
if  the  latter,  it  was  a  hopeless  case.  More  queer  reasoning.  I  insist  it  is 
the  duty  of  the  doctors,  old  or  young,  to  go  outside  of  orthodoxy  when,  if 
they  have  common  sense,  they  know  the  old  drug  methods  are  humbugs. 

I  want  to  see  absolute  freedom  of  practice  extended  to  all.  If  any 
abuse  the  privilege  and  practice  fraudulently,  there  are  statutes  with  which 
to  reach  them  and  punish  them  severely.  Then  let  the  public  know  who 
they  are  and  they  will  soon  be  out  of  business. 


'Live  to  learn"  is  a  good  motto. 

Some  people  are  not  even  good  imitators. 

Public  applause  is  dangerous — it  breeds  bigotry. 

The  consciousness  of  a  duty  well  done  is  sufficient  reward. 

All  the  advancements  in  this  world  have  been  accomplished  by  depart- 
ures from  beaten  paths. 

Personal  appearance  cuts  a  great  figure  in  making  a  success  of  any- 
thing. I  don't  mean  you  must  be  pretty,  but  you  must  have  winning 
ways. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


243 


"WHERE  IGNORANCE  IS  BLISS." 
A  Hint  to  Searchers  after  Happiness — Be  not  Afraid — Seek  and  Find. 

Since  the  fable  of  the  cursing  of  Adam  and  Eve  for  eating  of  the  fruit 
of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  there  have  been  perpetrated  such 
fool  alleged  axioms  as  the  one  quoted.  The  world  owes  whatever  of  ad- 
vancement it  has  made  to  the  vigorous  iconoclasts,  who  have  from  time  to 
time  exposed  the  fallacy  of  the  wiseacres  who  were  working  the  "dear  peo- 
ple" under  the  various  disguises,  from  Moses'  excursion  to  the  montains 
to  the  cheap  virtue  of  Anthony  Comstock. 

In  the  days  of  Socrates  if  an  honest  man  gave  vent  to  his  indignation 
against  the  outrages  upon  human  rights  he  was  compelled  to  apologize  to 
the  powers  that  were,  issue  a  recantation  to  the  "blissfully  ignorant"  or 
drink  hemlock  juice.    Socrates  chose  the  latter  and  became  an  immortal. 

In  the  days  of  Thomas  Paine,  they  had  modified  the  punishment  to 
imprisonment  and  he  produced  his  "Age  of  Reason"  while  the  state  paid 
his  board. 

In  the  days  of  Ingersoll  they  did  not  dare  kill  or  imprison  and  had 
to  content  themselves  with  ridicule.  The  Colonel  paid  them  in  their  own 
coin  and  hell  froze  over,  while  heaven  advertised  rooms  to  let.  To-day, 
almost  anybody  can  get  a  pass  through  the  pearly  gates — if  he  has  money 
or  influence.  If  he  doesn't  like  the  color  of  the  band-wagon  they'll  repaint 
it.  A  young  millionaire  tells  us  that  Jesus  was  joking  when  he  said,  "it 
is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich 
man  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

In  the  days  current  the  heretic  is  so  numerous  it  is  practically  useless 
to  attempt  to  suppress  him.  He  is  giving  full  sway  to  the  pent-up  in- 
herent Nature  which  has  always  been  the  chief  element  of  him,  and  he  is 
asking  and  answering  questions  with  a  rapidity  and  directness  that  prom- 
ises astonishing  advancement  within  the  next  century.  Realizing  more 
fully  day  after  day  the  monstrosity  of  creeds  and  dogmas  which  kept  him 
in  the  "bliss  of  ignorance,"  he  is  demanding  that  he  undergo  the  torture 
of  knowledge. 

If  knowledge  is  wrong  what  a  volume  of  pity  is  due  God  Almighty! 
If  knowledge  is  right,  and  god-like,  what  a  deal  of  hustling  our  ancestors 
will  have  to  do  in  the  spirit-land  to  make  up  time  lost  in  the  ages  gone  for- 
ever! 

Each  day  brings  to  me  a  consciousness  of  ignorance  and  lost  oppor- 
tunities and  I  want  to  go  on  record  as  one  who  has  found  no  bliss  in  it. 
Whatever  of  positive  happiness  I  have  found  has  been  in  the  acquirement 
of  knowledge  and  passing  it  along  to  my  fellow  men.  But  it  is  so  little 
compared  with  what  might  have  been  that  I  shall  never  miss  an  oppor- 
tunity to  urge  others  to  think,  reason,  investigate  and  talk,  write  and 
print  it. 


244 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


NEUROLOGY  LIKE  A  PIANO. 
It  is  a  Simple  Proposition  in  the  Abstract,  but  It  Requires  Patient  Industry 

to  Win. 

Wiseacres  who  undertake  to  practice  neurology  or  even  that  small 
branch  of  it  known  as  ophthalmology,  without  learning  it  seriatim  soon 
learn  that  the  lesson  that  "he  that  vaunteth  himself  shall  fall."  Really  the 
philosophy  of  it  is  simple ;  so  simple  that  many  of  my  pupils  have  become 
first  enthused,  then  fearful  lest  their  future  patients  may  take  up  the 
dietary,  for  example,  and  become  competitors  instanter.  This  amuses  mer 
because  I  know  they  will  know  better  before  they  graduate  and  if  any  pa- 
tients should  be  foolish  enough  to  think  that  the  few  instructions  which 
apply  to  one  case  will  reach  all  others,  the  error  will  become  apparent  when 
they  try  it.  Such  is  the  case  with  old-school  drug  treatment,  because  if  the 
patient  gets  the  list  he  can  try  all  the  prescriptions  in  it  and  if  there  was 
any  such  thing  as  medicine  curing  he  would  surely  find  it.  That  is  the 
chief  reason  the  old  doctors  have  to  write  their  recipes  in  pig  Latin,  pigeon 
English  and  symbols.  It  is  not  the  case  with  neurologists.  They  tell  their 
patients  what  they  give  diets  for,  what  they  contain  and  why  they  are 
needed,  how  long  to  continue,  etc  If  the  rest  of  the  family  is  sick  or  well, 
the  same  diet  can  do  no  harm,  but  unless  other  matters  are  looked  after 
in  each  case  of  disorder  the  best  results  cannot  be  expected.  I  often  tell  a 
mother  to  require  the  whole  family  to  take  the  same  dietary  ordered  for  her 
child ;  at  the  same  time  I  tell  her  that  if  any  of  them  are  chronics  it  will  be 
necessary  to  have  a  thorough  examination  and  other  instructions.  I  ex- 
plain that  neurology  is  like  a  piano,  simple  in  structure  and  any  one  can 
strike  the  keys,  or  possibly  pick  out  a  tune,  but  it  takes  an  expert  to  bring 
in  the  two-hand  action  and  the  demi-semi-quavers.  The  same  description 
applies  to  those  practitioners  who  attempt  to  practice  without  proper  and 
sufficient  instruction.  They  practice  like  the  average  musicians  plays — 
well  enough  to  satisfy  some  people  but  they  give  competent  judges,  even 
among  the  laity,  a  pain.  They  are  boasters;  they  assume  the  "air  of 
peculiar  reserve,"  and  slowly  but  surely  starve  out.  It  is  they  who  want 
laws  to  "protect  the  dear  public"  from  "charlatans."  God  save  the  mark! 
They  are  it. 

A  good  skeptic  is  better  than  a  bad  believer. 

Some  people  are  smart  enough  to  imitate  if  not  to  originate. 

Too  much  time  is  consumed  in  promulgating  theories;  not  enough  in 
demonstrating  facts. 

Judging  from  current  medical  literature  I  conclude  the  only  thing  that 
isn't  contagious  is  common  sense. 

The  fact  that  popular  opinion  endorses  some  things  and  condemns 
others  is  not  one  whit  proof  that  one  is  right  and  the  other  is  wrong. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


245 


HOW  TO  MAKE  GOOD  DOCTORS. 

Keep   the   Field  Wide   Open   for   Competition — The   Devil   Will   Get  the 

Hindmost. 

A  letter  from  an  Ohio  physician  telling  me  he  was  coming  to  Chicago 
to  attend  my  college  said:  'T  will  tell  you  why  I  haven't  been  with  you 
sooner.  My  colleague  in  this  little  town  is  a  drinking  man  and  I  dared  not 
trust  my  patients  to  his  care  while  I  absented  myself.  Recently  a  new 
doctor  has  settled  here,  and  I  can  now  leave  and  feel  that  my  patrons  will 
be  attended  properly." 

Isn't  that  pathetic?  Isn't  it  a  shame?  A  good,  honest  doctor  cannot 
leave  his  practice  to  another  because  the  other  is  liable  to  get  drunk  and 
neglect  it.  A  drunken  doctor  protected  from  the  possible  consequences  of 
his  habit  by  a  practice  act  that  "protects  the  dear  people." 

I  advise  the  public  to  beware  of  the  political  doctor,  (the  American 
Medical  Association  is  a  political  organization  and  boasts  of  it),  the  drink- 
ing doctor,  the  club  doctor  and  the  gambling  doctor.  The  first  is  a  rascal, 
the  second  a  mentally  weak  mortal,  the  third  a  dubious  quantity,  and  the 
fourth  a  financial  and  professional  failure. 

No  professional  man  ever  knew  too  much — except  in  his  own  estima- 
tion. There  is  so  great  need  of  serious  application  of  the  mind  to  prob- 
lems not  yet  solved  that  I  cannot  see  how  one  who  is  recognized  as  a 
member  of  any  one  of  the  alleged  learned  professions  can  stoop  to  the  level 
of  a  poker  game  night  after  night,  or  can  waste  time  gossiping  at  a  club 
or  loafing  in  a  saloon  or  behind  the  prescription  case  in  a  drug  store,  or 
dabbling  in  the  nastiness  of  politics. 

It  is  these  classes  of  doctors  and  lawyers  who  need  laws  to  protect 
them  from  their  betters.  It  is  they  who  would  have  all  energetic,  able, 
honest  competitors  declared  criminals  by  fool  laws,  passed  by  idiotic  or 
venal  legislatures.  It  is  they  who  would  sacrifice  public  health  by  vaccina- 
tion and  other  devilish  devices  for  the  sake  of  revenue.  It  is  they  who 
continue  in  old  ruts  from  year  to  year  because  they  are  too  lazy  to  study 
and  learn  Nature's  ways  and  wishes,  and  think  because  they  echo  the 
words  and  manners  of  smart  leaders,  they,  also,  are  smart. 

Such  doctors  are  always  exploiting  operations  before  mystery-loving 
laity  that  doesn't  know  that  only  about  one  doctor  in  ten  can  set  a  broken 
finger,  doesn't  know  that  not  one  in  fifty  would  dare  tackle  a  laparotomy, 
doesn't  know  that  the  doctor  who  can  relieve  without  operation  is  in- 
finitely greater  than  he  who  butchers  with  the  delight  of  a  cannibal. 

Give  them  the  benefit  of  publicity. 


"Heredity"  is  one  of  the  worst  abused  words  in  our  language.  It  is 
the  scapegoat  by  which  many  physicians  escape  responsibility  for  failure 
to  cope  with  congenital  defects  which  they  diagnose  and  treat  as  diseases. 


246  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS 

SERUM  THERAPY  A  CRIME. 

Vaccine  Virus  and  Antitoxin  Producers  of  Vjle  Diseases  and  Lockjaw.     A 

Bad  History. 

Consistent  with  their  old  practice  of  holding  fast  to  a  theory,  even 
though  it  failed  in  practice,  because  they  had  no  substitute,  many  old- 
school  doctors  stick  to  vaccination  and  other  serums  in  spite  of  the  terrible 
consequences  and  even  seek  laws  to  compel  well  people  to  submit  to  inoc- 
ulation. With  impudence  and  a  stubbornness  worthy  of  a  better  cause 
they  declare  that  every  case  so  treated  that  lives  owes  it  to  the  virus ;  while 
those  who  die  are  charged  to  bad  nursing. 

A  more  nonsensical  proposition  could  not  be  conceived.  It  is  more 
than  nonsense.     It  is  willful,  deliberate,  malicious  falsehood. 

England  and  her  colonies  tried  vaccination  and  found  that  the  increase 
of  erysipelas  and  other  skin  diseases,  as  well  as  organic  troubles,  multiplied 
with  amazing  rapidity,  and  while  there  are  left  a  few  mercenary  doctors 
who  clamor  for  it,  the  majority  decided  it  was  worse  than  a  fraud  and  laws 
which  tried  to  compel  people  to  suffer  inoculation  were  repealed. 

In  our  own  land,  during  the  civil  war  out  of  over  5,000  prisoners  in  and 
around  Danville,  Va.,  only  2,000  took  smallpox  when  it  broke  out  under 
the  most  unsanitary  conditions;  of  these  over  seventy  per  cent  had  been 
vaccinated  and  eighteen  persons  took  it  who  were  thoroughly  marked  from 
a  former  attack.  I  have  this  history  from  Dr.  J.  M.  Thurston,  of  Rich- 
mond, Ind.,  who  was  the  physician  in  charge. 

I  know  of  numerous  cases  of  scrofula  produced  by  it;  also  blood 
poisoning,  so  that  the  victims  lost  arms  and  legs  or  were  scarred  about  the 
face  for  life. 

Antitoxin  has  an  even  worse  record  in  the  brief  time  it  has  been  exi 
ploited.  Many  of  its"  victims  have  died  from  tetanus  while  there  is  not  a 
scintilla  of  proof  that  it  ever  saved  one  case. 

The  doctors  who  are  its  most  strenuous  advocates  dare  not  attempt  to 
answer  the  following  questions: 

If  vaccination  is  an  "absolute  safe-guard"  why  do  they  repeat  it? 

If  it  requires  more  than  one  vaccination  how  soon  does  the  first  one 
cease  to  be  efficacious? 

If  "sufficient  exposure"  will  bring  on  smallpox  in  "ten  to  fifteen  days," 
what  constitutes  "sufficient  exposure?"  This  is  like  the  test  for  mush- 
rooms: If  you  eat  them  and  live  they  are  mushrooms;  if  you  die  they  aro 
toadstools. 

The  Chicago  health  (?)  board  claims  to  have  a  "perfect"  system  of 
vaccination  which  "causes  no  inflammation,  swollen  glands,  high  fever  or 
other  objectionable  results."     How  do  they  tell  when  it  has  "taken"  then? 

If  vaccination  is  a  safe-guard  why  have  isolation  hospitals,  to  which 
they  take  paints  by  force? 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  247 

If  the  disease  is  ''catching"  how  is  it  caught,  and  where  did  the  first 
case  "catch"  it? 

If  it  is  carried  on  the  clothes  why  do  not  doctors'  clothes  carry  it? 
They  frequently  attend  cases  and  go  abroad  among  their  patients  without 
change. 

If  it  is  preventable  why  do  doctors  take  it? 

The  dean  of  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Illinois  con- 
fessed he  has  been  vaccinated  sixteen  times  and  has  had  smallpox  twice; 
does  that  signify  anything  in  favor  of  the  serum? 

Do  the  people  have  any  rights  that  such  fiends  are  bound  to  respect? 

In  the  matter  of  yellow  fever  the  trust  doctors  claimed  to  have  dis- 
covered the  remedy  in  sanitation  at  Havana,  Cuba,  which  sounded  reason- 
able, and  worked.  But  now,  that  an  epidemic  has  raged  in  the  south  for 
weeks,  worse  than  in  1878,  they  charge  it  to  a  peculiar  kind  of  mosquito. 
This  mosquito  must  be  a  female  of  a  certain  age,  must  bite  a  yellow  fevei 
sufferer,  then  incubate  for  a  certain  number  of  hours,  then  bh^  its  victim. 
This  was  the  first  story  which  was  supplemented  by  the  reassuring  state- 
ment that  this  particular  sort  of  female  does  not  bite  at  night.  Later  it 
was  discovered  they  had  become  Christianized,  carried  lanterns  and  bit  at 
night  as  well  as  in  day  time.  Then  as  the  fever  subsides  they  are  declar- 
ing that  these  cases  produced  by  night  bites  were  not  so  virulent.  As  a 
matter  of  honest  truth  the  doctors  are  as  much  in  the  dark  as  they  were 
thirty  years  ago,  and  the  reason  is  they  are  searching  along  the  same  old 
lines.   ^* 


The  most  helpful — confidence. 

The  most  irritating — meddlesomeness. 

Money  will  buy  anything  except  brains. 

High  heels  and  high  collars  are  the  best  shoulder  braces. 

It  is  not  how  much  one  thinks  he  knows,  but  what  he  can  prove,  that 
counts. 

Conservatism  is  a  good  thing,  but  it  is  like  a  mustard  plaster — should 
be  applied  locally. 

Cuss-words  are  vile,  but  I  know  of  none  sufficiently  so  to  express  my 
opinion  of  gossips. 

Ill  people  are  unable  to  perform  labor,  angry  ones  are  careless  and 
tired  ones  are  incompetent. 

No  theory  is  worthy  of  confidence  until  it  has  been  demonstrated  prac- 
tically and  none  are  so  great  fools  as  those  who  accept  and  demand  that 
others  receive  as  facts  the  vagaries  of  their  minds.  It  was  this  class  who 
crucified  Jesus  Christ,  who  compelled  Socrates,  four  hundred  years  before 
that  event,  to  drink  poison;  sixteen  hundred  years  after  persecuted 
Spinoza,  and  to  this  day  are  seeking  to  make  statutory  criminals  of  those 
who  think  and  teach  and  prove  their  philosophy. 


248  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

IT  IS  A  DISGRACE  TO  BE  ILL. 
Of  Course  There  Are  Mitigating  Circumstances.— Penalities  Are  Attached 

to  Violations  of  Nature's  Laws. 
Every  doctor  who  has  to  do  with  the  ills  flesh  is  "heir"  to  meets  all 
kinds  of  sick  people,  but  few  are  practical  enough  to  know  that  each  case 
is  better  than  any  book,  after  the  rudiments  of  one's  profession  are  mas- 
tered. The  tendency  is  to  get  into  a  rut  and  let  matters  go  willy-nilly.  No 
good  doctor  has  time  or  inclination  for  society,  for  clubs  or  for  sport. 
That  he  should  take  recreation  is  a  matter  of  law;  but  that  amusement 
ought  to  take  precedence  over  his  professional  duties  is  one  of  the  most 
disgraceful  ills  that  could  be  proposed.  The  penalty  attached  is  loss  of 
practice  and  general  retrogradation. 

In  the  practice  of  neurology,  more  than  in  any  other  system,  is  close 
application  necessary.  Our  analyses  of  new  cases  is  augmented  or  ham- 
pered by  the  mathematical  precision,  or  lack  of  it,  with  which  we  attended 
previous  ones.  Diagnosis  is  good  only  when  it  is  corroborated  by  analysis ; 
therefore  objective  and  subjective  symptoms,  mental  and  physiological 
must  be  observed  and  careful  records  kept  for  study  from  time  to  time,  in 
comparison  with  others.  The  doctor  who  does  not  practice  for  the  love 
of  his  work  primarily  cannot  hope  to  be  a  success  financially — unless  he  is 
a  rascal — and  his  failure  is  one  of  the  disgraceful  ills. 

The  vast  majority  of  doctors  are  poor  in  health  as  well  as  in  worldly 

possessions,  because  they  lack  system  in  their  work.     I  do  not  know  of 

any  other  profession,  or  occupation,  in  the  pursuit  of  which  so  much  physi- 

cal  exertion  and  irregular  hours  are  involved,  with  so  meager  returns. 

Many  other  businesses  are  conducted  on  a  strictly  cash  basis  and  none  do 

the  extensive  credit  act  the  doctors  do.     This  is  a  disgraceful  ill  of  the 

doctors,  and  it  is  a  penalty  for  the  violation  of  the  law  that  "the  laborer  is 

worthy  of  his  hire."     It  is,  I  fear,  one  of  the  chronic  ills  of  the  old  schools, 

possibly  incurable ;  but  I  hope  to  do  much  toward  removing  the  cause  and 

neutralizing  the  effects  before  I  pass  hence.     I  have  grilled  doctors  and 

their  practices,  but  they  will  find,  ultimately,  I  am  one  of  their  best  friends. 

It  is  their  fault  that  the  present  baneful  conditions  exist.     First  they  take 

into  their  colleges  immature  material,  cripples,  nondescripts,  who  have.no 

capital,  either  in  cash  or  brains,  graduate  them  and  in  the  struggle  for  a 

mere  existence  they  teach  the  public  to  call  the  doctor  for  every  little 

belly-ache,  "for  it  might  be  appendicitis;"  medical  societies  constantly  use 

news  columns  of  the  papers  to  keep  the  people  frightened,  and,  life  being 

as  sweet  to  the  ignorant  as  to  the  learned,  to  the  poor  as  well  as  to  the 

rich,  they  demand  the  attention,  night  or  day,  storm  or  calm,  when  they 

have  nothing  to  pay  for  it.  and  when  there  is  absolutely  no  need  to  impose 

on  anyone. 

The  remedy  for  this  is  dual :     First,  let  it  be  published  that  it  is  just 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  24Q 

as  much  of  a  disgrace  to  be  ill  bodily  as  it  is  already  conaidered  to  be  "off" 
mentally.  Who  ever  heard  anyone  boast  of  an  insane  relative?  When  did 
you  ever  hear  crazy  people  swapping  lies  about  their  vagaries?  Second, 
let  it  be  understood  the  doctor's  fee  is  due  and  payable  at  the  conclusion 
of  his  visit.  He  would  better  get  fifty  cents  or  a  dollar  in  legal  tender  than  a 
three-dollar  "I.  O.  U."  This  can  be  done  if  the  practitioners  will  unite  in 
demanding  it.  And,  even  if  they  do  not  unite,  those  who  adhere  to  the  rule 
will  have  more  money,  for  less  work,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  than  any  of  the 
others.  They  will  have  less  worry,  more  time  for  study,  better  health 
and  be  more  competent.  Of  course  there  are  exceptions  to  all  rules  and 
the  tactful  doctor  will  make  them;  but  there  is  no  reason  why  he  should 
work  for  those  who  are  wealthy  and  v/ait  years  for  his  pay  because  he  fears 
if  he  "duns"  the  debtor  he  will  lose  practice.  The  sooner  I  lose  the  practice 
of  those  who  can  pay  but  will  not,  the  better  I  am  pleased. 

I  do  as  much  charity  work  as  the  average  doctor,  but  I  put  it  in  the 
charity  column.  I  keep  no  books,  except  a  cash  book.  When  a  patient 
comes  I  hear  the  tale  of  woe,  fix  a  price  for  my  services  and  get  it;  then 
the  work  begins.  I  get  the  money  in  advance  for  two  reasons.  First,  to 
be  sure  of  it;  second,  I  often  voluntarily  agree  to  guarantee  good  results, 
provided,  always,  the  patient  follows  instructions  to  the  letter.  By  guar- 
anteeing I  mean  that  I  am  so  positive  my  analysis  is  correct  I  will  assume 
the  risk  of  all  the  money  loss  if  I  am  wrong.  I  never  have  had  to  refund 
a  penny,  because  the  patient  is  given  to  understand  distinctly  that  if  direc- 
tions are  not  followed  my  methods  of  measurement  of  nerve  supply  and 
conditions  will  disclose  any  lapses  and  I  will  refund  nothing.  The  results 
are  they  do  as  they  are  told,  get  the  natural  benefits  and  are  happy.     So 

am  I. 

One  thing  I  impress  on  my  patients,  above  all  other  injunctions,  is: 
"You  would  not  like  to  have  me  going  about  discussing  your  condition  with 
everyone  I  met  would  you?"  Of  course  they  reply  "No."  Then  I  say, 
"Well,  don't  you  do  it  either.  If  anyone  asks  you  what  is  the  matter  and 
who  is  your  doctor,  tell  them  that  is  a  private  matter  which  you  do  not  care 
to  discuss;  and  you  may  say,  if  you  please,  that  your  doctor  taught  you  it 
is  not  creditable  to  be  ill,  hence  your  determination  to  keep  quiet  about 
it."  Then  I  have  it  understood  that  so  long  as  the  case  is  in  my  charge 
I  do  not  care  for  the  opinions  of  gossips.  When  I  want  advice  I  know 
where  to  go  for  it.  Once  I  had  a  case  of  convergent  squint  which  reported 
the  fourth  day  with  a  homely  case  of  divergence.  She  was  very  unreason- 
able at  first  and  made  all  sorts  of  threats,  backing  them  with  repetitions 
of  the  advice  she  had  received  from  her  mother,  sisters,  cousins,  aunts  and 
neighbors.  I  was  bluffed  for  about  a  minute,  when  I  bethought  me  of  her 
father  and  I  asked  if  he  was  alive.  She  said  he  was,  and  I  asked  for  his 
opinion.     "Well,"  was  the  reply,  "He  said  if  you  were  there  you  would 


25O  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

probably  tell  them  all  to  go  to  the  devil."  I  jumped  at  that.  "You  bet  I 
do.  Bully  for  your  father.  Tell  them  he  struck  my  sentiments  exactly." 
Then  I  pushed  her  gently  toward  the  door,  telling  her  to  keep  quiet  and 
report  in  a  week  with  her  apologies,  the  which  she  did,  as  happy  a  girl  and 
with  as  straight  eyes  as  any. 

The  mitigating  circumstances,  when  the  stain  of  disgrace  does  not 
attach,  is  when  the  ills  are  results  of  causes  over  which  the  victim  has  no 
control.  But  the  chronics  are  never  such  and  have  need  to  be  impressed 
with  the  facts.  Children  and  the  aged  are,  of  course,  to  be  treated  with 
consideration,  but  all  should  be  made  to  feel,  by  delicate  explanations  that 
the  doctor  is  conferring  a  favor  when  he  takes  a  case,  and  the  duality  of 
duties  of  the  patient  is  to  follow  instructions  and  pay  for  his  services  at 
once. 


WHAT'S  IN  A  NAME? 
In  the  Surname,  Tradition. — In  the  Given  Name  We  Have  an  Index  to 

Character. 

I  have  a  very  practical  friend  who  represents  one  of  the  big  com- 
mercial agencies.  One  day  he  gave  me  his  abstract  method  of  making 
financial  ratings.  He  said:  "Let  us  take  the  sturdy  name  of  Smith,  tor 
example.  'John  Smith,  Dry  Goods  and  Groceries'  on  the  sign  and  letter- 
heads tells  me  at  once  that  John  is  no  artful  dodger  by  nature,  and  all  I 
have  to  look  after  is  his  training,  which  is  usually  found  to  be  as  steady  as 
the  name.  I  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  replies  to  my  questions  and  my 
work  is  soon  finished.  I  have  his  confidence,  he  has  mine  and  the  public 
rarely  suffers  by  it.  If  John  tells  me  it  is  none  of  the  public's  damned  busi- 
ness what  his  business  is,  it  is  a  pretty  good  sign  John  is  trying  to  do  busi- 
ness on  a  bluff  and  he  is  rated  accordingly.  If  he  suffers  injustice  it  is  his 
own  fault.  When  the  sign  reads  'John  Smith  and  Brother,'  it  is  natural  that 
we  learn  which  particular  brother,  how  much  each  is  interested,  if  the  fam- 
ilies are  extravagant,  etc.,  but  I  always  feel  good  when  I  see  such  a  sign. 
There  is  a  fraternal  feeling  aroused  in  me  that  makes  me  favor  those  peo- 
ple if  duty  will  permit.  If  the  sign  reads  'John  Smith  and  Company'  it  is 
legitimate  but  suggestive.  It  looks  to  me  as  if  John  needed  help  or  was  in- 
volved in  some  obligation,  and,  of  course,  I  must  find  what  it  means 
exactly.  Sometimes  it  means  a  mighty  pretty  act  of  good-heart  toward 
employes,  sometimes  it  is  a  straight  .business  necessity,  and  often  it  is 
pure  rascality.  If  the  sign  reads  'The  John  Smith  Brothers  Company'  or 
'John  Smith  (Agent)'  I  make  my  requests  for  information  in  the  form  of 
demands,  much  as  an  officer  of  the  law  might.  I  know  I  am  up  against 
rascals  and  let  them  understand  it  the  first  thing." 

My  own  experience  has  shown  that  while  the  surname  carries  family 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


251 


traditions,  true  or  false,  it  is  rarely  an  indication  of  character.  Of  course 
when  we  read  of  Ulysses  Grant  III  or  Marshall  Field  III,  it  means  that  the 
III,  or  his  relatives  or  misguided  friends,  are  trying  to  impress  the  world 
that  grandpa  still  lives  but  has  been  improved  decidedly.  Such  persons  may 
be  very  wise,  amiable  and  all  that  one  could  wish,  but  they  are  presented 
under  disadvantages,  to  thinking  persons.  The  moment  one  poses  as  a 
distinguished  person,  just  that  moment  he  assumes  the  responsibility  of  the 
position  and  is  expected  to  stand  or  fall  under  criticism.  Where  is  Ulyses 
Grant  II  or  what  does  Marshall  Field  II  amount  to? 

But  that  is  all  right.  It  is  only  a  weakness  of  the  parents  in  the  first 
place.  It  is  the  given  names  that  tell  a  story,  and  a  true  one.  In  the  days 
when  people  were  not  so  plentiful  they  rarely  had  more  than  one  name. 
Later  two  became  necessary — the  surnames  for  family  connections  and  the 
given  name  to  differentiate  between  members  of  the  same  family.  Then 
it  became  the  custom  to  christen  a  child  with  two  given  names  out  of  polite- 
ness to  the  grandparents  of  both  sides  of  the  house.  That  was  a  pretty 
sentiment  but  it  was  "run  in  the  ground"  when  these  prefixes  were  in- 
creased in  number  until  they  complimented  all  relatives  and  friends  and 
overloaded  the  society  columns  of  the  newspapers  later.  Like  other  infec- 
tions, not  attended  properly,  this  plague  grew  until  it  became  a  mark  of 
aristocracy  and  the  mother  who  had  not  a  sou  markee  to  leave  her  child 
named  it  Algernon  Mephistophiles  ahead  of  Brown,  perhaps,  and  died  bless- 
ing her  fool  self  for  having  given  birth  and  a  name  to  a  prodigy.  Then 
came  the  "y"  and  'V  period,  when  pretty  Edith  was  distorted  into  Edythe, 
when  Mary  Jane  was  converted  into  Marie  Gene  or  Mayme  Jayne.  And 
yet  the  fool-killer  remained  away. 

Then  came,  in  quick  succession,  from  the  simpering  sophomore,  Elmore 
Bennington  Brundage,  and  from  the  mature  nothing,  damned  fool,  or  ras- 
cal, J.  Lewis  Edwards,  H.  Harry  Brown,  etc.  They  should  put  it  O.  Sissy. 
And  the  fool-killer  is  here.     I  am  it. 

My  experience  with  the  last-described  class,  covering  a  period  of  thirty 
years,  has  been  unqualifiedly  disgusting.  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying 
that  I  have  known  more  than  a  hundred  such  and  have  found  them  every- 
one either  man  gossips,  weak-minded  but  conceited  people,  out-and-out 
rascals  or  vascillating  creatures  who  are  no  credit  to  society  or  a  school 
and  are  a  source  of  worry  to  their  friends.  I  have  therefore  issued  an  edict, 
based  upon  an  unpleasant  experience,  that  so  long  as  I  control  the  institu- 
tion I  do  now  no  one  who  uses  such  an  appellation  need  apply  for  admis- 
sion, and  if  any  sneak  in  they  will  surely  be  discovered  and  dismissed.  This 
applies  also  to  those  who  are  inclined  to  such  snobbish,  idiotic  practices. 
My  school  does  not  undertake  to  supply  brains  as  well  as  education.  Now 
you  know  what's  in  a  name  to  me. 


252 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


OBLIQUE  CYLINDERS. 

How  They  Produce  Trouble  Because  They  Are  Fitted  to  False  Positions. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  find  people  wearing  glasses  with  the  axes  of  cylin- 
ders at  oblique  meridians.  This  is  because  they  were  fitted  by  novices  or  dog- 
matists who  did  not  know  the  first  principles  of  anatomy  and  physiology, 
physics  or  practice. 


R 


L 


oW* 


Figf.  103 


Fig.  103  shows  a  case  in  which  there  is  irritation  of  the  general  nervous 
system  to  the  spasm  stage.  It  is  exhibiting  in  the  third  nerves'  branches 
to  the  inferior  oblique  muscles  of  both  eyes,  with  the  result  that  they  pull 
enough  to  rotate  the  eyes  fifteen  or  twenty  degrees,  so  that  the  two  first 
principal  meridians,  90  and  180,  and  the  two  second  principal  meridians,  45 
and  135  are  moved  to  the  dotted  lines,  and  the  operator,  believing  it  was  true 
oblique  astigmatism,  fitted  the  cylinders  to  those  meridians.  The  spasm  is 
also  present  in  the  other  branches  of  the  third  nerve  which  operate  the  lens 
and  much  of  the  hyperopia  is  concealed.  In  such  cases  I  have  found  in- 
variably that  not  over  one-half  of  the  hyperopia  was  corrected.  It  is  often 
possible  to  take  these  and,  while  the  axes  are  found  oblique  when  correcting 
each  eye  separately,  to  shift  both  to  90  or  180  or  to  the  second  principal 
meridians  at  the  moment  of  permitting  binocular  vision,  thus  securing  com- 
fort and  settling  the  question  at  once ;  but  as  a  rule  it  is  better  to  prescribe 
temporary  spheres  until  the  nerve  supply  measures  o.  k.,  then  it  will  be 
discovered  the  obliquity  has  disappeared. 

\  l 


Fig-.  104 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


253 


The  same  is  true  of  the  reverse  condition  as  shown  by  Fig.  104,  when 
the  stage  of  collapse  is  reached  and  the  nerve  supply  being  weak,  allows  the 
inferior  oblique  to  slack  up  too  much.  These  cases  are  easier  to  controi 
than  the  first  class  but  caution  is  always  the  better  part  in  doubtful  cases. 


CIRCLES  OF  DIFFUSION. 

How  to  Find  Approximately  the  Size  of  Them  in  One's  Own  Eyes  at  Given 

Distances. 

The  figure  shown  herewith  is  an  ideal  eye  in  the  matter  of  dimensions. 
From  the  center  of  the  lens  to  the  posterior  pole  is  just  the  same  distance 
as  that  from  the  center  of  the  lens  to  the  line  P  in  front  of  the  eye.  This 
line,  then,  represents  the  principal  focal  plane  from  which  rays  starting  di- 
vergent would  pass  beyond  the  cornea  and  lens  parallel  with  the  axis.  The 
ray  R  would  be  refracted  and  focus  at  the  posterior  pole  because  it  ap- 


I^g.  105 

proaches  parallel  with  the  axis.  Now,  while  the  eye  is  fixed  on  a  distant 
object  let  another  object  be  placed  at  farthest  point  to  the  left  shown  on  the 
axis,  which  is  just  three  inches.  The  ray  from  the  point,  which  strikes  the 
cornea  at  A  would  be  refracted  and  pass  away  parallel  to  the  line  G  L  and 
would  strike  the  axis  at  2  if  it  could  get  there,  as  would  also  its  fellow 
ray  below  the  axis.  But  as  neither  can  get  past  the  retina,  the  circle  of 
diffusion  formed  will  have  a  diameter  equal  to  the  space  between  the  two 
lines  at  the  retina.  This  shows  exactly  what  the  circle  of  diffusion  would 
be  in  a  hyper  ope  of  13.00  D.  with  accommodation  at  rest. 

An  interesting  fact  in  this  connection  is  that  the  circle  of  diffusion  from 
the  distant  rays  would  be  just  as  great  if  the  eye  was  adapted  to  the  three- 
inch  point.  The  same  is  true  of  any  two  points.  To  make  it  plainer,  if 
the  eyes  are  fixed  on  a  point,  say  thirteen  inches  distant,  rays  from  a  point 
forty  inches  away  would  form  circles  instead  of  points.  Then  reverse  the 
proposition  and  fix  at  forty  inches;  the  rays  from  the  thirteen-inch  point 
would  form  circles  of  the  same  size.  The  first  ones  would  focus  before 
reaching  the  retina  and  the  others  would  reach  the  retina  before  focusing. 
Of  course  if  some  critic  wants  to  split  hairs  he  would  declare  the  rays  that 
focus  before  reaching  the  retina  will  make  a  trifle  the  biggest  circle,  but  I 
will  anticipate  him  and  reply  that  he  fails  to  consider  the  increased  angles 


254 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


of  the  rays  from  the  nearest  point  which  would  increase  the  dispersion 
enough  to  offset  the  other. 

There  are  a  number  of  physical  problems  having  reference  to  the  eyes 
that  afford  physiological  and  metaphysical  lessons  which  more  than  repay 
one  for  studying  them.  No  one  in  practice  pays  enough  attention  to  the 
laws  upon  which  he  works,  whether  it  be  physician  or  tradesman. 


PTERYGIUMS  AND  CATARACTS. 

Their  Causes  and  Suggestions  for  Their  Rational  Treatment. 
A  pterygium  is  designated  technically  as  a  vascular  thickening  of  the 
ocular  conjunctiva.  The  conjunctiva  is  the  membrane  that  lines  the  lids 
and  covers  the  anterior  portion  of  the  globe,  including  the  cornea ;  the  part 
that  lines  the  lids  is  the  palpebral  portion  and  that  which  covers  the  globe  is 
the  ocular  portion.  These  growths  are  the  products  of  irritation  of  the 
nervous  system,  produced  from  within  by  the  strain  of  attempting  to  over- 
come hyperopia,  and  from  without  by  the  presence  of  fine  dust,  which  ac- 
cumulates in  the  nasal  canthus  because  the  flow  of  tears  carries  it  there. 
The  irritation  of  the  nerves  increases  the  heat  in  that  vicinity  and  nature 
proceeds  to  build  more  blood  vessels  and  to  enlarge  the  ones  already  there 
in  order  to  keep  the  membrane  cool.  They  are  easily  arrested,  if  taken 
before  they  get  too  much  of  a  start,  by  correcting  the  hyperopia,  if  any 
exists,  and  by  using  strong  salt  water  with  a  delicate  atomizer,  twice  a  day 
for  several  days.  Sometimes  they  disappear  entirely.  If  they  are  neglected 
too  long,  and  grow  up  over  the  cornea  they  impair  vision  permanently. 
Some  malignant  cases  of  long  standing  have  to  be  dissected  away.  Fig.  ioo 
shows  one  grown  to  the  edge  of  the  cornea. 


Fig.  100 

Cataracts  are  opacities  of  the  crystalline  lens.  They  are  of  several 
forms,  from  that  of  a  spider-web  to  a  solid  mass.  The  latter  are  seen 
easily  and  appear  under  an  oblique  illumination  as  a  milky  spot  just  behind 
the  pupil.  Congenital  cataracts  are  those  which  exist  at  birth  and  are 
usually  as  white  as  ivory;  traumatic  cataracts  are  those  caused  by  blows 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


255 


and  they  may  mature  in  a  night;  senile  cataracts  are  those  which  come  in 
the  eyes  of  old  people  from  the  systemic  changes  incident  to  their  age. 


Fig.  101 

Formerly  the  only  remedy  was  operation  and  that  often  failed  to  re- 
store sight  because  the  retinal  connections  with  the  brain  had  become 
atrophied  from  non-use.  It  is  not  advisable  to  operate  as  long  as  the  other 
eye  is  usable. 

Some  success  has  been  had  from  the  use  of  succus  cineraria  maritima, 
some  from  oil  of  thuja  oxidentalis,  and  some  from  a  saturated  solution  of 
common  salt.  It  requires  about  three  months  to  make  the  latter.  All  of 
them  are  used  in  the  same  manner,  that  is,  a  drop  on  the  cornea,  just  above 
the  pupil,  three  times  a  day.  They  enjoy  about  the  same  per  cent  of  suc- 
cess as  do  other  chemicals,  medicines,  etc.,  and  no  one  knows  why  they 
work  when  they  do  or  why  they  fail  when  they  do  that.  Fig.  101  shows  a 
cataract  partly  developed. 


A  BIT  OF  HISTORY. 

The  Humble  Origin  of  the  Physician  and  Surgeon  of  the  Arrogant  Old 

Drug  Schools. 

Of  all  professional  or  tradesmen  in  the  world  I  know  of  none  who  are 
so  exalted,  in  their  own  estimation,  and  in  the  estimation  of  the  public,  as 
are  the  masses  of  physicians  and  surgeons.  They  strut  about  like  turkey 
cocks  at  breeding-time  and  make  themselves  obnoxious  to  all  sensible  peo- 
ple. In  the  first  place  the  truly  great  are  never  ostentatious.  Second,  the 
vast  majority  of  the  above  described  mass,  while  graduated  as  physicians 
and  surgeons  are  neither  in  fact  and  never  can  be,  because  they  lack  common 
sense.  Third,  even  the  most  expert  surgeons  make  the  most  egregious  mis- 
takes and  only  the  great  bookkeeper  knows  how  many  lives  have  been 
sacrificed  by  these  errors.  I  have  made  errors,  but  I  never  vaunted  myself 
until  this  moment  when  I  declare  I  am  a  greater  surgeon  than  Drs.  McBur- 
ney,  Murphy,  Senn  and  the  rest,  for  the  simple  reason  I  am  able  to  save 
people  whole,  and  with  Nature's  aid  make  them  well,  while  the  class  name<3 
delight  in  the  scalpel  and  disregard  utterly  the  mortality  feature. 


256 


NEUROLOGY     AND    METAPHYSICS. 


This  bit  of  history  was  recalled  to  me  recently  when  I  heard  a  young 
squirt  from  a  local  old-school  college  sneer  at  a  neurologist  who  had  been 
a  barber,  then  studied  osteopathy  and  electricity,  found  them  wanting,  and 
took  up  the  study  and  practice  of  neurology  as  expounded  in  the  school  of 
which  I  have  the  honor  to  be  the  founder.  The  aforesaid  "squirt"  is  a 
measly  little  cad  about  five  feet  three  inches  in  height,  with  a  face  that 
would  frighten  a  torn  cat  on  a  dark  night,  and  a  flow  of  language  that  sug- 
gests the  car  barns  or  newsboys'  alley.  The  doctor  he  was  sneering  at  was 
six  feet  two,  as  erect  as  a  telegraph  pole,  with  as  frank  a  face  as  ever  looked 
at  a  patient,  a  born  doctor  if  ever  there  was  one.  Comparison  of  the  two 
would  be  likening  a  tumble-bug  to  an  arch-angel. 

I  haven't  much  use  for  barbers,  myself.  I  regard  them  as  a  rule  in  the 
same  category  with  milliners — gossips,  but,  having  a  faint  recollection  that 
the  barber  is  a  very  ancient  species  I  looked  up  his  record  and  found  that 
he  existed  away  back  in  the  days  of  Ezekiel.  The  University  Encyclopedia 
tells  the  following  story  about  him: 

Barber  (Barbo,  beard.  From  Latin  barbator,  to  cut  the  beard.)  "This 
trade  or  profession  is  very  ancient  and  is  mentioned  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel. 
(Chap.  v.  1.)  In  China  and  other  oriental  countries  barbers  shave  the  whole 
or  part  of  the  head.  The  practice  of  shaving  the  beard  was  common  among 
the  ancient  Egyptians,  Greeks  and  Romans.  Among  the  ancient  Israelites 
the  removal  of  the  beard  by  shaving  or  plucking  it  out  was  a  sign  of  mourn- 
ing. In  former  times  barbers  served  the  public  in  the  capacity  of  surgeons 
and  performed  the  operation  of  bleeding.  The  spiral  red  stripe  seen  on  the 
barber  pole  is  said  to  symbolize  the  winding  of  a  ribbon  around  the  arm 
previous  to  letting  blood.  In  London  the  barber  surgeons  formed  a  corpora- 
tion with  certain  privileges.  They  were  incorporated  in  England  in  i46r 
and  were  united  with  the  surgeons  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII  (1509  to 
1547).  The  connection  was  dissolved  in  the  reign  of  George  II  (1727  to 
1760)  by  an  act,  the  preamble  of  which  affirms  that  the  trade  of  a  barber  is 
foreign  to  and  independent  of  the  practice  of  surgery.'  Quite  recently  the 
surgeons  of  the  Swedish  navy  were  also  barbers  for  the  crews." 

Therefore  if  it  is  a  disgrace  to  have  been  a  barber,  how  much  more 
outrageous  is  it  to  have  sprung  professionally  from  a  race  of  barbers. 

Let  us  all  cultivate  that  modesty  the  seriousness  of  our  position  de- 
mands, and  when  we  hear  a  surgeon  say  he  would  rather  operate  than  eat, 
avoid  him  as  an  insane  man. 


Pay  as  you  go  and  you'll  go  farther. 

Reason  and  education  are  the  most  dangerous  enemies  of  religion  and 
drug  medicine. 

People  who  misconstrue  the  action  of  others,  or  who  gossip  on  the 
strength  of  unjust  suspicions  about  matters  which  do  not  concern  them, 
are  beneath  contempt. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


257 


NEUROLOGISTS  MUST  SEE  PATIENTS. 
Whenever  One  Undertakes  a  Mail  Order  Business  He  Is  Not  a  Neurologist. 
Before  m^e  lies  a  book  called  "The  New  Field,"  just  received  from  a 
friend,  and  on  page  68  I  find  an  endorsement  of  a  specialist  whose  specialty 
is  "to  know  what  to  name  a  disease  and  what  will  cure  it  without  seeing 
the  patient,  or  hearing  or  knowing  more  than  his  P.  O.  address."  And  the 
author,  after  saying  this  doctor  is  "one  of  the  most  learned  men  we  have," 
added:     "Any  man,  to  command  such  a  patronage  must  be  a  successful 


man." 


I  weep  for  that  author's  ignorance.  If  you  don't  believe  it,  come  to  rns 
and  I'll  show  where  I  sit  while  I  weep.  I  know  lots  of  such  "successful 
fellows."  One  of  them,  in  Kansas  City,  who  has  been  so  successful  that  he 
quit  taking  city  patients  because  he  was  too  busy  counting  money  that 
came  by  mail  from  suckers,  told  one  of  his  friends  recently,  that  he  would 
have  to  get  up  a  new  graft  as  the  old  one  was  about  worked  out. 

All  of  which  moves  me  to  say  that  to  practice  neurology  the  doctor 
must  see  his  patients,  must  take  nerve  measurements,  analyze  the  diet  and 
figure  out  the  whole  line  of  treatment,  just  as  carefully  as  an  architect 
figures  his  plans. 

Our  system  of  anaylsis,  applied  to  that  specialist's  professions  makes 
us  ask  why  it  is  necessary  to  know  his  patients'  post  office  addresses. 
When  I  start  to  be  a  liar,  I'll  go  whole  hog  or  none.  I'm  not  ready  to  start 
yet,  however. 


COLOR  IGNORANCE  AND  BLINDNESS. 
The  First  Named  Is 'Very  Common,  While  the  Other  Is  Exceedingly  Rare. 

A  practical  test  of  color  perception  is  to  ask  a  great  many  people  to 
name  the  color  nearest  white  and  keep  a  record  of  the  replies.  It  will  be 
found  that  men  and  boys  know  very  little  of  colors  and  tints,  while  women 
and  girls  are  usually  well-informed;  but  even  among  the  latter  will  be 
found  many  who  insist  that  pale  yellow  or  cream-color  is  the  nearest  white, 
when  the  fact  is  pale  green  is  correct,  because  green  is  the  central  color  of  a 
spectrum;  pale  blue  is  below  it  and  pale  yellow  above,  if  the  prism  which 
separates  the  elements  is  base  down.  Pale  blue  is  where  the  lower  domi- 
nates and  pale  green  is  where  the  central  color  prevails,  hence  the  difficulty 
in  distinguishing  between  the  two. 

No  test  for  color-blindness  is  complete  until  a  persistent  effort  to  edu- 
cate the  subject  fails.  Of  course  there  are  cases  so  well-defined  that  it 
would  be  safe  to  bet  they  could  not  be  educated,  but  I  have  seen  such 
who  learned  readily  after  correction  of  errors  in  their  dioptric  systems. 
That  there  are  genuine  cases  of  absolute  color-blindness  has  been  proved 
abundantly,  and  of  course  the  phenomenon  calls  for  explanation.  The  old 
propositions  that  the  rods  and  cones  of  the  retina  have  to  do  with  it  by  pos- 


258 


NK  UROLOGY     AND    MLTAl'll  YSICS. 


sessing  three  sets  of  color-perceiving  elements,  red,  green,  and  blue  or  vio- 
let, and  that  there  exist  three  different  visual  substances,  red-green,  blue- 
yellow  and  white-black  appear  fallacious  to  me  because  I  am  sure  the  con- 
sciousness of  vision  is  not  in  the  retina  any  more  than  it  is  in  the  cornea 
or  lens,  because  the  so-called  dioptric  system  simply  causes  an  image  to  be 
formed  on  the  retina  which  transmits  the  impressions  to  the  brain  much 
after  the  same  fashion  a  counting  machine  registers  on  paper  in  its  interior 
the  effects  of  pressing  on  external  keys. 

In  the  physical  portion  of  this  work  I  have  shown  how  an  aplanatic 
lens  in  constructed  and  how  the  combination  overcomes  chromatic  and 
spherical  aberrations.  Natural  philosophy  teaches  that  there  is  nothing 
artificial  that  has  no  original  in  Nature,  therefore  in  looking  about  for  the 
original  aplanatic  lens  we  find  it  in  the  crystalline  humor  of  trie  eye ;  while 
its  structure  is  liquid  it  is  striated,  like  an  onion,  beginning  with  a  bi-convex 
nucleus  it  is  completed  with  negative  menisci,  the  whole  forming  a  bi-convex 
lens  enclosed  between  the  anterior  and  posterior  capsules.  As  the  artificial 
product  accomplishes  certain  things,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  Nature 
made  the  crystalline  in  the  same  manner  for  the  same  purposes.  I  hold, 
therefore,  that  absolute  color-blindness  is  due  to  the  mal-structure  of  the 
crystalline. 

One  may  be  absolutely  color-blind  from  abnormal  index  of  dispersion 
in  the  lens,  yet  have  no  errors  of  refraction,  but  vision  could  not  be  normal 
because  of  the  dispersion. 

Other  evidence  that  color  perception  is  a  part  of  the  sensory  nervous 
functions  is  that  many  blind  people  have  shown  their  ability  to  distinguish 
color  by  touch.  I  once  knew  a  man  in  Natchez,  Miss.,  whose  eye-balls 
had  been  enucleated  when  a  child,  who  could,  and  often  did,  tell  the  color 
of  different  roses  by  touching  them  so  lightly  the  petals  were  not  injured. 
He  could  also  tell  the  color  of  one's  hair  in  the  same  manner.  Others 
have  reported  similar  cases. 

One  of  the  most  delicate  corroborations  of  my  duality  discoveries  is  in 
this  color  sense.  On  five  pages  following  will  be  found  the  same  figure 
printed  in  different  colors.  The  figures  are  set  well  toward  the  top  so  the 
space  below  can  be  used  for  the  transfer.  To  try  the  experiment  there 
must  be  good  daylight  and  by  fixing  the  eyes  steadily  on  the  eye  of  the 
figure  for  a  minute  or  two,  then  fixing  on  the  center  of  the  open  space  below 
at  the  spot  marked,  the  complementary  color,  or  duality,  will  manifest  itself, 
If  the  figure  observed  is, 

Black,  white  will  appear. 

Red,  green  will  appear. 

Green,  red  will  appear. 

Yellow,  violet  will  appear. 

Violet,  yellow  will  appear. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


259 


And  if  the  figure  be  in  white  on  a  black  surface,  black  would  appear  when 
the  transfer  of  the  gaze  occurred. 

It  will  be  found  some  people  note  these  changes  quicker  than  others, 
the  complementary  color  often  appearing  as  a  border  around  the  figure  as 
the  eyes  fix  on  it.  Those  who  are  unable  to  see  the  change  at  all,  even 
after  repeated  trials,  day  after  day,  have  evidenced  that  their  color  percep- 
tion is  not  normal.  But  that  is  not  remarkable  any  more  than  it  is 
that  many  people  cannot  learn  music  or  ether  refined  arts  requiring  delicate 
sensory  apparatus. 

In  applying  the  principles  upon  which  I  have  pursued  my  studies,  the 
following  solution  of  color  dualities  presents  itself: 

All  laws,  or  causes,  are  accompanied,  or  succeeded,  by  effects.  White 
is  a  combination  of  all  colors ;  black  is  the  absence  of  color.  One  is  positive, 
the  other  negative  in  nature.  In  the  spectrum,  we  have  red,  orange,  yellow, 
green,  blue,  indigo  and  violet  as  the  "seven  elementary  colors"  of  accepted 
authorities.  The  red  is  a  decided  element,  while  the  orange  and  yellow  are 
similar,  green  and  blue  are  in  the  same  relation,  practically,  as  are  also 
indigo  and  violet;  therefore  in  red  and  yellow  we  have  the  4-,  or  acute, 
elements  and  in  green  and  violet  we  find  the  — ,  or  benign,  elements.  Of 
the  -f ,  red  is  the  extreme  and  of  the  —  violet  is.  In  all  positive  chemical 
compounds  the  major  portion  being  -f-  dominates  the  minor  portion  which 
is  — ,  and  in  all  negative  combinations  the  major  portion  being  —  dominates 
the  minor  portion  of  -f-»  hence  in  the  departures  from  perfect  combinations, 
which  would  form  white,  if  the  major  or  -[-  portion  is  red,  the  minor  or  — 
portion  would  have  to  be  green,  and  if  the  major  portion  is  yellow  the 
minor  portion  would,  necessarily,  be  violet.  Then  it  follows,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  that  reversing  the  proportions  of  elements  would  reverse  the  posi- 
tions of  the  principals.  The  extreme  -J-  element  combines  with  the  least 
—  and  the  extreme  —  combines  with  the  least  +,  qualitatively,  and  which 
is  to  dominate  in  any  combination  is  a -matter  to  be  settled  quantitatively. 

The  complementary  relation  between  color  and  sound  is  illustrated  by 
the  red  scream  of  a  frightened  child  and  the  black  roar  of  thunder. 

That  the  senses  of  smell  and  sound  are  complementary  has  been  proved 
in  the  great  perfumery  houses  of  Detroit,  where  they  have  what  they  call 
the  gamut  of  odors,  regular  musical  staves,  treble  and  bass,  on  which,  in- 
stead of  notes,  are  written  the  names  of  odors.  A  pianist  improvises  a 
sweet  little  melody  and  when  the  odors  corresponding  to  the  notes  are 
combined  in  the  same  proportions  the  decoction  smells  as  it  sounded  when 
it  came  from  the  piano.  I  mention  this  here,  out  of  place,  because  I  have 
no  other  place  for  it  and  it  is  a  fact  worth  investigating,  particularly  by 
those  whose  esthetic  tastes  are  already  highly  cultivated ;  it  would  be  tedi- 
ous to  others. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  265 

THE  MATTER  OF  CLOTHES. 

Remarkable  Progress  From  Mother  Eve  to  an  Iowa  Doctor  Who  Wears 

a  Gown.  '    '  .  H 

It  is  still  an  unsettled  question  whether  Adam  or  Eve  devised  clothing. 
But  it  appears  both  wore  the  same  kind  and  that  very  decollette.  If  they 
could  return  to  earth  and  see  the  Dubuque,  Iowa,  doctor  who  wears  a  mor- 
tar-board cap  and  a  gown  during  offijce  hours  they  would  be  more  ashamed 
than  the  records  state,  I  am  sure. 

Nature  clothed  animals  with  hair  and  mankind  with  mentality,  and 
when  she  sees  what  fools  the  latter  make  of  themselves  it  is  remarkable  that 
a  second  flood  does  not  occur.  It  is  not  my  purpose,  however,  to  write  of 
fads  here,  because  the  space  at  my  command  is  limited. 

Clothing,  since  the  two  suits  of  our  first  parents  has  not  grown  on  trees. 
It  has  been  the  product  of  the  ingenuity  of  man.  At  first  it  consisted  of  a 
simple  mantle  draped  about  the  body  to  protect  it  from  cold  and  heat,  while 
the  feet  were  protected  by  soles  of  wood  held  in  position  by  straps  of  skin. 
The  ancient  rulers  and  the  members  of  their  courts  attired  themselves  gor- 
geously, exposed  their  "charms'*  in  a  lewd  manner,  and  put  in  their  leisure 
writing  codes  of  morals  for  their  imitators  of  to-day.  These  codes'  were 
interspersed  with  histories  of  their  practices  which  modern  generations  are 
more  prone  to  emulate.  The  modern  society  woman's  gown  begins  just 
above  her  nipples  and  extends  ten  feet  to  the  rear.  She  discounts  Ajax  by 
defying  pneumonia  at  one  end  and  microbes  at  the  other.  She  parades  her 
nakedness  with  absolute  abandon  and  is  inexpressibly  shocked  if  a  man 
appears  in  her  presence  in  a  shirt-waist.  Oh!  inconsistency;  thy  name  is 
Fashion. 

It  is  not  how  much  or  how  little  clothing  one  wears,  but  the  manner 
in  which  they  do  it  that  offends  decency.  To  the  person  with  a  practical 
mind  who  realizes  that  he  is  not  his  brother's  or  sister's  keeper,  except  to 
the  extent  of  not  imposing  on  him  or  her,  a  perfectly  formed  man  or  woman, 
naked  or  clothed,  is  a  natural  object  of  interest.  To  people  whose  minds 
are  filled  with  false  modesty,  the  marble  statuary  in  the  salons  of  the  world 
are  terrifying.  It  used  to  be  said  of  Boston  women  that  they  wore  glasses 
from  modesty,  not  wishing  to  exhibit  their  naked  eyes. 

The  man  with  a  practical  mind,  knows  the  fashion  indulged  in  by  many 
women  is  deliberate,  malicious  and  outrageous,  not  only  imposes  upon 
Nature,  but  upon  the  natural  feelings  of  her  fellow  men.  It  is,  first,  in 
clothing  heavily  one  part  of  the  body  and  leaving  absolutely  naked  the  part 
containing  the  lungs,  bronchi  and  throat,  endangering  life ;  second,  by  excit- 
ing carnal  desires  unnecessarily  and  impudently  without  any  intention  of 
gratifying  them. 

Woolen  clothing,  especially  underwear,  is  advocated  by  some,  because 
they  say  it  absorbs  the  perspiration.     We  ask,  "What  do  you  want  to  ab- 


266  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS 

sorb  it  for?"  They  reply,  "To  keep  cool."  We  ask,  "How  often  do  you 
change  it?"  They  reply,  "Anywhere  from  twice  a  week  to  once  a  month," 
owing  to  the  social  status.  We  say  woolen  underwear  should  be  changed 
daily  if  worn  at  all.  Thin  people  in  delicate  health  say  they,  wear  it  to  keep 
warm.  We  ask,  "Does  it  do  it?"  They  reply,  "No,"  but  insist  that  if  they 
wore  anything  else  they  would  freeze  to  death.  We  ask,  "Did  you  ever  try 
it?"  They  say,  "Of  course  not,  because  I'm  alive."  We  reply,  "You'd  bet- 
ter try  it,  it  will  at  least  put  you  out  of  your  misery,  according  to  your 
philosophy." 

Society  decrees  that  dudes  and  dudeens  shall  wear  heavy  wraps  in  sum- 
mer, but  the  same  blamed  fools  will  wear  full  dress  in  mid-winter  and  have 
the  audacity  to  wonder  why  they  get  sick. 

From  a  neurological  standpoint  underclothing  is  worn  as  a  protection 
to  the  outer  clothing,  as  it  is  easier  to  wash  and  is  less  expensive.  It  should 
be  of  rather  light  weight  all  the  year,  because  the  outer  clothing  can  be 
changed  in  weight  suitable  to  the  weather.  There  are  occasions  when  it 
is  advisable  to  carry  extra  clothing,  just  as  there  are  when  an  umbrella  is 
a  good  thing.  In  any  event  the  person  who  wears  clothes  takes  a  preponder- 
ance of  chances  because  they  are  all  artificial.  It  is  a  very  common  thing  to 
see  a  baby  or  child,  and  even  some  grown  persons,  poked  into  a  sack,  feet 
and  all,  to  go  to  bed,  when  everybody,  young  or  old  should,  rationally,  have 
part  of  the  twenty-four  hours  absolutely  free  from  clothing,  except  that 
furnished  by  the  sheets,  etc.,  on  the  bed,  which  may  be  pulled  over  in 
emergency.  I  sleep  as  naked  as  I  was  born,  every  night,  with  a  sheet  and 
sometimes  a  blanket  if  the  night  is  cold. 

If  anything,  man  is  a  worse  offender  in  the  matter  of  dress  than  women, 
except  in  the  one  particular,  that  his  lungs  are  not  exposed ;  but  he  wears 
more  clothes  and  does  not  keep  his  shape  or  form  as  well.  He  wears  low, 
flat-heeled  shoes,  hence  requires  no  attention  to  keeping  balanced ;  the  resuU 
is  he  gets  round-shouldered.  He  puts  on  an  undershirt,  an  over  shirt,  a 
vest,  a  coat,  while  the  woman  has  a  little  vest  for  an  undershirt,  a  cheese^ 
cloth  shirt-waist  and  a  little  piece  of  ribbon  for  a  tie.  The  man  wear: 
woolen  or  balbriggan  drawers  and  more  or  less  heavy  trousers.  The 
woman,  if  she  is  sensible,  wears  short  stockings,  roomy  muslin  drawers, 
with  possibly  a  very  light  skirt  under  the  dress  skirt,  to  protect  the  dress. 
Then  she  wears  a  corset,  which  has  been  the  subject  of  many  anathemas. 
She  needs  it  for  two  reasons:  First,  her  skirts  are  supported  by  the  hips 
and  fastened  with  a  cord  or  band  which  could  easily  be  made  too  tight  and 
cause  distress ;  second,  if  her  breasts  are  developed,  as  they  should  be,  they 
need  support,  on  account  of  the  lack  of  training  to  develop  the  muscular  tis- 
sue to  hold  them  steadily ;  third,  the  corset  being  laced  properly  around  the 
abdomen,  supports  the  viscera  and  relieves  the  pressure  in  the  lower  pelvic 
region ;  fourth,  it  holds  her  straight  so  that  she  does  not  get  round-should- 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


267 


ered.  Then  she  wears  shoes  with  reasonably  small  heels  and  rather  high, 
which  assist  in  keeping  her  straight.  When  she  gets  the  French  heels,  set 
in  the  middle  of  the  feet,  they  not  only  endanger  her  ankles  but  she  acquires 
an  unnatural  gait  that  instead  of  being  attractive  is  disgusting  and  pitiful. 

But,  after  all,  clothes  make  the  man,  in  the  estimation  of  a  large  ma* 
jority,  and  to  be  successful,  even  a  neurologist  must  adhere  to  certain  fash- 
ions, although  he  need  not  be  foolish.  Professional  men  for  generations 
have  worn  frock  coats.  The  reason  is,  they  are  semi-dress  and  as  doctors, 
particularly,  are  making  calls  constantly,  or  receiving  callers,  it  is  only  a 
matter  of  respect  to  their  patients;  therefore  in  order  to  avoid  being  con- 
spicuous, all  doctors  will  and  should  continue  the  practice.  The  silk  hat, 
however,  is  a  mistake  and  a  discomfort.  It  was  invented  by  some  devil  ta 
be  worn  by  coachmen,  and  the  dress  suit  was  devised  for  waiters. 

The  whole  principle  of  clothing  is  for  protection  from  atmospheric 
changes  and  from  traumatic  incidents.  If  we  make  the  clothing  of  good 
material  it  will  protect  us  from  the  latter  when  comparatively  light.  If  we 
make  it  so  that  it  can  be  put  on  in  layers  we  can  adjust  the  number  to  thq 
temperature,  but  on  general  principles,  the  nearer  natural  we  are,  the  better 
our  health.  One  of  the  evidences  that  we  have  direct  from  nature  is  in  the 
fact  that  we  rarely  see  a  baldheaded  woman.  One  of  the  reasons  is,  un- 
questionably, that  she  lets  her  hair  grow,  while  men  cut  theirs.  The  other, 
probably  more  important,  is  that  she  wears  no  hat. 

The  hands  are  taken  care  of  better  than  the  feet.  They  are  left  naked, 
except  in  excessive  cold,  while  the  feet  are  constantly  incased  in  not  only 
cloth  but  leather  and  sometimes  rubber  on  top  of  that.  Is  it  any  wonder 
they  raise  a  stink?  They  need  extra  care  at  least  in  the  evening,  when 
they  should  be  bathed  as  soon  as  the  covering  is  removed,  and  to  avoid  extra 
tenderness  they  should  be  rinsed  in  cool  salt  water. 


PHYSICAL    DEGENERACY. 
Many  Examples  of  It  Are  Found  Among  Those  Who  Profess  to  Practice 

Healing. 

"By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them"  is  one  of  the  old  time  axioms  that 
is  consistent  with  reason.  But  when  we  pause  to  look  at  the  physical 
effects  of  Christian  civilization  and  medicine  in  comparison  with  many 
"heathen"  peoples  we  blush  at  our  assurance  in  assuming  superiority.  The 
reason  so  few  blush  is  that  few  think.  Both  Christianity  and  medicine  have 
always  taught  we  must  allow  others  to  do  our  thinking — those  God's  an- 
nointed  fellows  who  do  not  have  to  show  credentials  because  they  are  ready 
to  admit  their  position. 

Reader,  set  up,  if  you  can  find  space  in  your  mind,  an  ideally  perfect 
physical  man  and  woman.  Then  look  around  among  the  people  you  meet 
and  find  how  many  are  up  to  the  standard.     Or,  better  still,  take  those 


268  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

whose  physical  attractions  have  impressed  you  favorably  and  examine  them 
with  reference  to  proportions  of  development.  In  the  first  search  you  will 
find  slouchy,  pimply-faced  boys,  girls  with  wrinkles  like  aged  persons, 
breastless  women  and  haggard  men,  with  round  shoulders,  as  the  most 
conspicuous  features.  In  following  the  second  suggestion  you  will  find  an 
improvement  over  the  others  but  you  will  find  they  are  decidedly  below 
standard  and  will  discover  that  their  attractiveness  to  you  was  in  their 
mentalities. 

Physical  culture  fads  will  never  supply  the  remedy,  for  two  reasons: 
First,  they  are  not  conducted  for  benefits  except  to  the  conductor;  second 
they  do  not  go  to  the  cause  of  the  troubles  but  merely  treat  effects ;  third, 
they  often  do  harm;  fourth,  when  they  do  not  affect  the  body  harmfully 
they  make  mental  nuisances  of  their  votaries. 

Speaking  strictly  there  are  no  laws  of  health.  There  are  laws  of 
Nature,  which,  if  obeyed  will  keep  us  all  in  perfect  health.  We  must  know 
the  chemistry  and  mechanics  of  those  laws,  the  chemistry  and  mechanics  of 
the  body,  and  we  must  know  them  all,  not  necessarily  in  minute  detail,  but 
in  the  gross  sense.  Neurologists  hold  that  they  are  in  no  danger  of  starving 
because  the  public  may  learn  too  much.  Indeed  we  know  from  practical 
experience  that  the  more  we  teach  our  patients  about  themselves  the  more 
they  want  to  know  and  the  better  patients  they  are.  Old  school  doctors 
dare  not  practice  our  tactics,  even  if  they  knew  enough  to  do  so.  And,  by 
the  way  in  this  class  we  find  lots  of  degenerates. 


ATTEND  NATURE'S  CALLS. 

Unnecessary  Retention  of  Urine  and  Other  Excrementitious  Matter  Is 

Unhealthy. 

Some  reader  has  remarked,  long  before  he  reached  this  article,  that  I 
am  a  fault-finding  person.  But  I  doubt  if  it  ever  occurred  to  him  that  the 
chief  object  of  the  work  is  to  remove  causes  by  first  pointing  out  what  they 
are ;  then  the  second  object  is  to  offer  rational  methods  of  restoring  health 
where  old-school  methods  have  failed,  and  to  show  how  health  may  be 
retained  when  it  has  been  established. 

One  of  the  commonest  faults  of  civilized  people  is  neglect  to  obey 
Nature's  hints  that  she  is  ready  to  empty  bowels  or  the  bladder.  Thou- 
sands of  men,  women  and  children,  suffer  torture  daily  by  reason  of  a  false 
modesty  which  prevents  them  from  making  their  necessities  known  in  the 
houses  of  friends  or  in  public  places.  They  insult  their  Creator  rather  than 
offend  (?)  a  host  or  tell  their  trouble  to  a  policeman.  If  this  is  not  a  fault, 
this  book  is  a  failure. 

The  complementary  fault  in  this  instance  is  that  in  small  towns  and  in 
the  country  the  closets  are  cold,  exposed  places,  where  the  act  of  evacuation 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


269 


is  done  under  most  unpleasant  conditions,  hence  is  avoided  as  often  as  possi- 
ble. To  the  class  of  people  who  object  to  many  of  my  propositions  be- 
cause "animals  do  not  do  so,"  I  now  say :  Here  is  one  matter  in  which  ani- 
mals set  a  pattern  worthy  of  emulation  in  one  respect,  at  least. 

Closets  should  be  warm  as  a  living  room  and  should  be  supplied  con- 
stantly with  means  of  flushing  and  with  soft  tissue  paper.  It  is  part  of 
life  that  food  be  taken  and  waste  discharged.  If  the  latter  is  not  done  it 
soon  interferes  with  the  benefits  of  the  former,  because  normal  organic 
action  depends  upon  harmony  of  action  in  them  all. 


NATIONAL    DISEASES. 

The  Same  Baneful  Influence  That  Outrages  Individuals  Works  Collec- 
tively in  Politics. 

In  the  year  1896  the  chie*  political  issue  was  the  remonetization  of 
silver.  The  Republican  party  could  not  endorse  the  avowed  principles  of 
the  Democracy,  but  its  managers,  realizing  that  the  latter  had  a  strong 
position  before  the  voters,  adopted  a  platform  declaring  for  bi-metalism, 
which  they  told  the  people  was  a  better  proposition  than  "Bryanism,"  and, 
with  their  customary  credulity,  enhanced  by  their  doubts  about  the  integ- 
rity of  the  Democratic  party  and  lots  of  money  judiciously  distributed,  the 
voters  gave  an  overwhelming  vote  to  the  Republican  candidates.  As  soon 
as  congress  convened  a  law  was  passed  effectually  settling  the  question  by 
establishing  a  gold  standard.  But,  fearing  a  revolt  on  account  of  their 
perfidy,  the  Republican  managers,  who  were,  in  turn  "managed"  by  those 
who  were  to  profit  exclusively  by  the  new  order  of  things,  again  flooded 
the  country  with  money  and  cries  of  "fifty-cent  dollars"  in  1900  and  1904. 
As  I  write  this  book  the  results  are  panning  out.  The  rascals  who  de- 
bauched the  country,  saw  a  handwriting  on  the  wall  and  began  to  plunder 
with  impunity  in  order  to  amass  fortunes  while  the  opportunity  lasted. 
They  became  intoxicated,  and,  like  all  other  drunken  people,  exposed  them- 
selves. 

The  big  insurance  companies,  whose  heads  were  the  most  vociferous 
gold  standard  howlers,  insisting  they  wanted  to  "protect"  their  policy- 
holders, and  thus  appealing  to  the  tenderest  spot  in  the  voters'  hearts, 
have  been  pocketing  millions  which  according  to  right  and  law,  should 
have  been  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  patrons  of  the  companies.  One  presi- 
dent of  a  big  insurance  company  admitted  he  gave  $150,000  of  the  trust 
funds  to  the  Republican  campaigns  mentioned  above,  and  declared  he  did 
it  because  he  thought  it  his  duty  to  do  so  to  "protect"  the  owners  of  that 
fund  from  their  own  votes !  The  insolence  of  it  is  only  comparable  to  the 
hold-up  man  who  explains  that  he  robbed  his  victim  to  prevent  him  from 
spending  his  wealth  foolishly.     But  that  is  not  the  worst  of  it.     Leading 


27O  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

Republican  editors  of  the  country  printed  endorsements  of  the  crimes  in 
which  they  admitted  they  were  not  lawful  but  declared  were  right,  because 
they  saved  the  people  from  "free  silver." 

In  the  next  campaign  it  will  be  hard  to  convince  the  voters  that  a 
fifty-cent  dollar  is  worse  than  a  two-dollar  dollar,  or  that  a  Democrat  is 
worse  than  a  Republican  thief. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  that  fifty-cent  dollar  story  is  the  veriest  bosh. 
Nature  made  everything  that  is  upon  a  double  standard  and  maintains 
it  dually.  No  nation  or  person  violating  the  natural  laws  of  order  can 
remain  in  good  health. 

And  when  disorder  occurs  it  requires  a  duality  of  remedies,  that  is, 
remove  the  cause,  then  neutralize  the  effects.  We  have,  in  National,  state 
and  municipal  offices  a  lot  of  blood-sucking  politicians  who  care  no  more 
for  the  public  than  they  do  for  Mexican  peons ;  they  are  insolent,  lazy  and 
thievish.  Associated  with  them  are  the  big,  brainy  fellows,  who  take  the 
big  profits  while  the  puny  ofBce-holders  take  the  leavings  and  the  "glory." 
This  duality  is  the  cause.  It  must  be  removed.  Then,  to  neutralize  the 
effects  the  new  incumbents  must  be  controlled  by  simple,  strict  laws.  They 
must  be  taught  that  faithlessness  to  their  trusts  is  treason  which  will  be 
punished  without  stint.  Those  who  do  business  in  this  country  under  the 
protection  of  its  laws  must  be  taught  that  when  they  become  enemies  to 
its  principles  or  give  aid  and  comfort  to  its  enemies  they  are  traitors  and 
will  be  banished  or  beheaded.  Circulars  issued  by  the  New  York  Life 
Insurance  Company  during  the  American-Spanish  war  read  as  follows: 

Rules  for  Americans — During  the  first  year  of  the  continuance  of  this 
policy,  if  the  insured  shall  die  when  engaged  in  the  naval  service  of  the 
United  States,  or  while  engaged  in  the  military  service  in  the  tropics,  or  in 
consequence  of  such  service,  the  amount  paid  under  this  policy  shall  be 
one-tenth  of  its  face.  The  foregoing  restrictions  will  be  waived  if  the 
insured,  immediately  upon  entering  the  naval  service,  or  before  leaving  the 
United  States  upon  military  service,  shall  pay  to  the  company  at  its  home 
office  an  extra  premium  equal  to  5  per  cent  of  the  face  value  of  this  policy. 

Rules  for  Spaniards — The  New  York  Life  Insurance  company  declares 
by  these  presents  that  it  annuls,  under  the  present  circumstances,  the  re- 
strictions respecting  the  service  in  arms  contained  in  the  life  policies  issued 
to  Spanish  subjects.  Therefore,  what  Spanish  subject  soever  who  may 
have  a  policy  in  force  in  the  New  York  Life  may,  without  fear  of  prejudicing 
his  insurance  and  without  paying  other  premium  than  stated  in  the  policy, 
accept  military  service  during  the  present  war.  He  may  consequently  be 
sure  that  in  the  event  of  his  death  in  war  the  company  will  not  refuse  to 
pay  the  insurance  on  the  life  of  one  who  died  in  the  performance  of  his 
duty.  The  company  declares  further  that  all  possible  facilities  will  be 
given  to  the  Spanish  insured  in  order  that  they  may  keep  the  policy  in  force. 


MISCELLANEOUS    TORTION.  27l 

If  said  holders  of  policies  should  find  themselves  in  difficulties  regarding 
the  payment  of  their  premiums  at  the  time  they  become  due,  the  company 
will  make  loans  for  the  payment  of  said  premiums  whenever  the  value  of 
the  policy  permits. 

What  do  Americans  think  of  that,  to  be  allowed  to  pass  unpunished? 
See  constitution  of  the  United  States. 

All  these  questions  must  be  settled  by  one  of  two  great  parties.  Let 
honest,  thinking  people  get  together  and  let  it  be  known  that  they  will  pay 
for  breaches  of  trusts  by  crushing  the  criminal,  politically,  socially,  finan- 
cially and  physically.     Then  do  it. 


CHOP-SUEY  PEOPLE. 
A  Class  Whose  Mentality  Is  Sadly  Deficient — Aptly  Termed  Moral  Per- 
verts. 

This  class  of  humanity  is  composed  largely  of  women  who  are  ambi- 
tious to  appear  adventurous  and  up-to-date.  They  would  be  adventuresses 
if  they  possessed  more  brains.  They  are  not  dangerous,  except  to  young 
girls  whom  they  may  induce  or  permit  to  accompany  them.  They  are,  as 
a  rule,  religious  to  a  turn,  but  they  want  to  see  the  slums  and  the  only  way 
to  get  there  without  adverse  criticism  or  absolute  condemnation  is  to 
take  up  the  chop-suey  fad.  Only  a  Chinaman  knows  what  the  stuff  is  and 
only  the  female  curiosity  and  idiotic  recklessness  on  the  part  of  her  male 
escort  could  stand  for  the  surroundings  and  food. 

It  may  be  all  right,  once  in  a  lifetime,  to  visit  the  low  quarters  and 
see  how  the  "other  half"  lives,  but  when  these  visits  become  frequent  and 
a  topic  of  boastful  conversation,  it  strikes  me  as  proof  the  boasters  really 
belong  in  that  quarter  and  are  out  of  their  bal-li-wick  in  my  company. 
Just  why  a  Chinaman's  grub  and  society  are  more  desirable  than  those  of 
negroes  is  not  clear  to  me,  although  the  chop-suey  class  would  be  insulted 
if  invited  to  a  negro  restaurant.  In  the  pursuit  of  my  profession,  at  vari- 
ous times  in  my  life  I  have  visited  chop-suey  joints,  opium  joints,  sporting 
houses,  saloons,  gambling  houses,  jails,  churches,  etc.,  but  I  never  lingered 
in  them  longer  than  was  necessary.  I  smoked  opium  once,  for  an  experi- 
ment, and  have  been  "tight"  when  I  was  in  the  sophomore  stage  of  life, 
but  I  have  never  eaten  chop-suey,  had  a  veneral  disease  or  been  a  member 
of  a  church. 

If  people  choose  to  be  in  that  class  it  is  none  of  my  business  farther 
than  I  have  a  right  to  express  my  opinion  from  the  purely  professional 
standpoint  of  a  neurologist  and  metaphysician.  I  can  see  no  benefits  to  be 
derived.  I  can  see  how  weak  characters  are  made  weaker  by  association, 
just  as  they  are  made  stronger  by  contact  with  their  superiors,  and  it  ap- 
pears logical  that  the  chop-suey  fiends,  more  than  all  others,  need  guar- 
dians. 


272 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


CATARRH  A  DISGRACE. 
It  Means  the  Person  Who  Has  It  Is  Not  Cleanly,  Either  From:  Ignorance 

'-rf^j  h.  -  ;  : ;     m.  or  Carelessness. 

There  is  no  more  necessity  for  the  existence  of  nasal  caarrh  (and  there 
is  no  other  kind)  than  there  is  for  fleas  on  a  dog.  It  is  a  shame  that  people 
have  not  been  educated,  ridiculed,  bulldozed,  if  necessary,  into  a  knowledge 
of  the  fact  that  the  nasal  passages  are  the  only  openings  in  the  body  which 
have  no  doors,  consequently  are  always  open  to  the  accumulation  of 
dust  and  other  irritating  bodies.  Possibly  I  should  make  exception  of  the 
mouth,  for  some  keep  it  open  voluntarily  all  the  time  they  are  awake  and  it 
Temains  that  way  involuntarily  when  they  sleep.  Teach  the  child  to 
■sleep  with  its  mouth  closed,  even  if  it  has  to  be  tied  shut.  This  willi 
*each  it  to  breathe  through  the  nose  as  Nature  intended.  Then  teach  it  to 
Snuff  water  up  the  nasal  passages  every  time  it  washes  its  face.  Have  it 
use  salt-water  once  or  twice  a  week  and  it  will  never  have  catarrh,  which 
is  merely  a  suppuratory  effort  on  Nature's  part  to  get  rid  of  the  irritating 
presence  of  the  foreign  matter.  For  those  who  have  been  neglected  until 
the  alleged  disease  seems  well-rooted  the  same  salt-water  treatment,  prac- 
ticed persistently,  three  or  four  times  a  day  will  yield  in  six  weeks  or  less.  A 
teaspoonful  of  salt  to  a  glass  of  water  is  not  too  strong.  Hurt?  Yes,  of 
course,  it  will  hurt.  The  parts  are  raw.  Keep  it  up  until  it  quits  hurting ; 
then  you  know  it  is  well.  Catarrh  is  an  internal  eczema  and  we  would  treat 
it  in  the  same  manner  we  do  eczema  if  we  could  get  the  cloths  on  the  inside. 

The  young  man  with  catarrh  who  calls  on  his  girl  cannot  hope  to  win 
her  respect  or  love,  if  they  are  worth  winning. 

The  girl  who  receives  company  with  a  whif  of  catarrh  breath  need  not 
expect  them  to  call  again  if  they  are  of  a  class  worth  knowing. 

If  I  should  be  invited  to  name  the  unpardonable  sin  I  would  respond 
promptly  and  name  it  catarrh.     Because  there  is  positively  no  excuse  for  it. 


FEVERS  AND  DIARRHOEA. 

Two  Simple  Methods  of  Treatment  that  Work  Like  Magic. — They  are 

Purely  Mechanical. 

Pick  up  any  old  materia  medica  or  a  current  medical  journal  of  the  drug 
schools  and  they  supply  abundant  evidence  of  the  uncertainty  of  their  meth- 
ods in  the  numerous  prescriptions  for  the  many  "fevers"  (we  know  only 
one)  and  for  the  diarrhoea  which  is  so  common  in  such  cases. 

Our  method  is  to  seat  the  patient  on  the  floor,  get  the  left  fore-arm 
under  the  chin,  being  careful  to  avoid  pressure  on  the  throat,  the  right 
hand  at  the  back  of  the  head,  low  down,  and  pressing  forward  to  hold  the 
head  erect,  then  lift  the  patient  bodily  from  the  floor.  This  will  stop  a 
fever  caused  by  a  cold,  in  about  half  a  minute  to  five  minutes.     If  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


273 


fever  is  from  nerve  pressure  somewhere  else  (it  is  always  from  nerve  press- 
ure), we  must  find  it.  Then,  for  diarrhoea  we  seat  the  patient  on  a  chair 
or  stool  in  such  a  position  we  can  get  our  knees  in  the  small  of  the  back, 
about  the  lower  dorsal  and  upper  lumbar  vertebrae,  then  pull  back  gently 
by  the  shoulders.  Two  or  three  minutes  of  this  will  be  sufficient  to  stop 
any  case.  If  it  is  a  baby  with  summer  complaint,  let  it  lie  in  bed,  pass  the 
hand  under  its  back  at  the  proper  place  and  lift  gently,  but  far  enough  to 
put  on  the  pressure.  The  first  of  the  operations  described  relieves  pressure 
at  once  and  permits  the  nerve  current  to  resume  its  normal  sway.  The 
second  first  arrests  the  short  circuit  which  is  causing  trouble,  then  permits 
the  regular  rhythmic  action  to  go  ahead.  Of  course  one  treatment  is  not 
always  sufficient,  but  as  a  rule  it  is.  If  it  is  not,  repeat  until  it  does  the 
work. 


COLD  HANDS  AND  FEET. 

A  Weak  Pulse  Is  No  Evidence  of  a  "Weak  Heart,"  But  Due  to  Nerve 

Obstruction. 

No  one  who  has  cold  hands  and  feet  constantly  is  healthy,  and  drug- 
ging for  such  symptoms  is  rank  idiocy. 

One  of  the  most  imposing  things  the  old-school  doctor  does  is  to  feel 
the  pulse  (the  other  is  to  look  at  the  tongue) .  If  it  is  feeble,  out  comes  the 
strychnine,  digitalis,  dynamite,  etc.  It  is  unnecessary  to  go  further;  that 
patient  is  in  a  serious  condition ;  the  more  money  he  has  the  more  serious 
the  case. 

Neurologists  know  that  the  wrist  is  no  place  to  find  out  what  the  heart 
is  doing.  They  go  straight  for  the  heart  and  they  do  not  need  a  stetho- 
scope (what  a  word)  either.  They  know  that  cold  hands  and  feet  mean  the 
nerve  current  is  not  circulating  in  the  appendages  as  it  should  and  they 
furnish  the  motive  power  to  work  out  the  joints,  where  the  pressure  may 
be,  and  while  they  are  at  it  the  spine  is  given  a  few  gentle  twists.  They 
never  hurt  anyorte.  They  know  that  if  the  heat  nerves  are  not  working 
well  the  vaso  motor  nerves  are  also  involved  and  they  just  use  common 
sense.  After  a  few  exercises  the  extremities  grow  warm  and  remain  so 
until  something  the  patient  does  upsets  the  nerve  connections  again. 

These  manipulations  are  not  osteopathy.  That  is  a  rough  treatment. 
I  have  in  my  classes  now  a  woman  who  says  she  matriculated  in  the  Kirks- 
ville  school  of  osteopathy  last  winter,  and  received  treatment  for  spinal 
trouble  during  three  months,  when  she  abandoned  the  school  because  she 
could  not  stand  the  rough  manipulations.   She  is  delighted  with  neurology. 


Remember  that  bacilli  are  not  the  cause  of  diseases ;  they  are  the  effects. 
He  is  either  a  rascal  or  a  coward  who  does  right  either  through  hope 
of  reward  or  fear  of  punishment,  here  or  hereafter. 


/ 


274 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


THOSE   'WASTING  DISEASES." 


A  Class  of  Cases  Old  Methods  Cannot   Reach — Give  the   Neurologist  a 

Chance. 

Many  of  the  so-called  ''wasting  diseases"  have  always  been  and  are 
a  puzzle  to  the  medical  fraternity,  yet  few  have  attempted  to  go>  outside  of 
beaten  paths  in  their  treatment,  and  when  they  have  done  so,  they  have 
sought  more  powerful  ''remedies"  than  were  used  previously,  only  to 
meet  failure  again.  They  are  unable  to  understand  why  simple  treatment 
can  possibly  win,  and  refuse  to  try  it.  For  example,  when  quinine  and 
arsenic  and  other  dope  has  failed  to  relieve  ague,  they  would  have  a  con- 
niption fit  if  told  to  give  a  teaspoonf ul  of  common  salt  fifteen  minutes 
before  breakfast  several  mornings.  Yet  it  is  as  much  of  a  specific  as 
ever  was  found,  because  it  has  a  natural  afBnity  for  the  blood  and  supplies 
the  deficiency  in  the  elements  which  was  the  cause  of  the  "disease."  We 
neurologists  have  watched  it  with  the  ophthalmoscope  and  can  note  the 
changes  in  the  blood  from  day  to  day. 

The  neurological  method  comprises  a  working  knowledge  of  the  chem- 
ical composition  of  the  body,  of  the  foods  it  lives  on,  and  a  practical  system 
of  analysis  of  each  case  which  discloses  the  relative  proportions  of  the 
elements  present,  so  that  when  one  or  more  is  lacking  we  can  supply  it 
by  changing  the  food  from  day  to  day  until  not  only  the  quality  of  the 
blood  is  improved  to  standard,  but  the  nerve  supply  also  measures  up  to 
its  standard..  The  physician  who  is  not  familiar  with  the  ophthalmoscope 
(direct  method)  has  no  means  of  determining  the  condition  of  the  blood 
that  is  worth  mentioning,  and  dumping  in  tincture  of  iron  and  strychnine 
is  too  slow,  uncertain  and  dangerous  to  be  worthy  of  consideration. 

The  average  physician  does  not  seem  to  realize  that  the  chronic  case 
is  the  most  serious  of  all.  He  is  on  a  par  with  the  average  patient,  who, 
while  a  terrible  grouch,  does  not  think  he  is  ill  enough  to  cease  work  un- 
til he  gets  to  the  point  where  he  cannot  leave  his  bed.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  persons  with  acute  troubles  either  die  or  get  well  quickly,  and  there 
is  no  way  of  telling  whether  the  doctor's  treatment  killed  or  cured.  The 
patient  might  have  died  just  as  easy  without  the  doctor,  or  he  might  have 
recovered  as  readily  if  there  had  been  no  doctors  within  a  hundred  miles. 

It  is  a  common  thing  for  persons  with  "weak  lungs"  and  "weak 
hearts"  and  other  symptoms  of  general  debility  to  declare  they  haven't 
consumption.  And  they  may  be  right,  often  are;  but,  if  they  do  not  take 
the  proper  treatment  in  time  they  will  soon  get  into  a  state  where  it  is 
too  late.  Common  sense  would  suggest  that  inasmuch  as  consumption  is 
only  a  name  for  symptoms  of  general  decline  in  vitality,  it  might  be  well 
to  take  such  simple  treatment  as  can  do  no  possible  harm  and  may  do 
immense  good;  but  few  people  have  common  sense.     The  very  ones  who 


MISCELLANEOUS    POKTION. 


275 


declare  angrily  they  have  no  disease  are  constantly  in  a  state  of  alarm  and 
bite  eagerly  on  every  patent  nostrum  that  is  advertised;  then  they  con- 
demn rational  systems  without  investigation  or  trial,  as  if  it  really  did 
them  good  to  take  their  spite  out  on  some  one  or  some  thing. 

We  do  not  solicit  patronage.  We  want  it  understood  that  when  we 
take  a  case  it  is  we  who  are  doing  the  patronizing.  We  are  conferring 
the  favor.  Were  it  not  that  we  cannot  live  on  air  we  would  not  think 
of  charging  anyone  for  our  services,  but  the  fee  is  not  all  of  the  cost  of 
our  treatment.  We  require  of  our  patients  self-denial,  practical  applica- 
tion to  the  study  and  understanding  of  their, own  conditions,  the  reasons 
for  their  existence,  the  reasons  for  everything  we  order  them  to  do,  and 
the  reasons  why  they  cannot  hope  for  results  if  they  do  not  obey  orders. 

No  person,  young  or  old,  whose  physical  or  mental  condition  is  below 
normal  should  eat  potatoes,  fine  flour  bread,  patent  foods,  sweets,  choco- 
lates, cocoa,  pastry,  nor  indulge  in  liquors  of  any  kind.  They  may  eat 
eggs,  oysters,  fish  or  ham,  well  cooked,  game,  fowls,  veal,  mutton,  peas, 
beans,  corn  and  tomatoes.  But  the  trouble  with  sick  people  is  they  do 
not  know  how  to  eat.  They  resort  to  drugs  to  create  unnatural  appetites. 
They  eat  at  the  wrong  time.  They  eat  too  much.  They  do  not  take 
variety.  And  we  cannot  tell  them  in  a  general,  way.  Each  case  needs 
at  least  one  thorough  examination  and  analysis  to  disclose  the  exact  stage 
of  progress  of  the  disorder,  then  after  following  our  instructions  for  a 
short  time  the  analysis  is  repeated  and  the  figures  compared  with  the 
first  one  when  the  results  show  for  themselves.  No  patient  is  asked  to  take 
our  word  for  anything.  It  is  an  ideal  system,  because  it  is  practical,  and 
is  practical  because  it  is  natural. 

Skeptics  are  privileged  to  make  themselves  ridiculous  by  ridiculing 
us,  because  they  could  not  be  expected  to  endorse  something  they  know 
nothing  about,  and  some  assume,  because  they  are  failures,  everyone  else 
must  be. 


The  scarcest — common  sense. 

Call  a  bluffer  every  time  you  get  a  chance.  Nothing  will  rid  the 
world  of  them  so  quickly. 

Infinity  is  that  which  is  beyond  human  comprehension.  The  origin  of 
the  universe;  the  future  of  the  human  race;  the  measurement  of  nothing; 
analysis  of  the  mind.  All  that  is  thought  or  written  of  such  subjects  is 
wasted,  except  as  it  brings  us  inadvertently  upon  practical,  finite  lines.  As 
a  means  of  comparison  it  is  questionable  because  of  the  needless  and  harm- 
ful controversies  resulting.  If  one  declares  a  proposition  true  because  no 
one  is  able  to  disprove  it,  that  one  is  treading  dangerous  ground.  Such 
were  the  tactics  employed  in  ancient  times  when  people  were  governed  by 
superstition ;  and  no  other  mark  passed  down  the  generations  is  so  often  in 
evidence  nor  so  baneful  in  its  influence. 


276 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


KNOWLEDGE  VS.  EDUCATION. 

Reason  Has  Always  Had  an  Up-Hill  Fight  Against  Great  Numbers  of 

Superstitions. 

"Truth  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast,"  sang  the  poet;  probably 
not  realizing  what  he  was  singing  about.  Had  he  given  the  matter  a 
second  thought  he  would  have  discovered  that  the  reason  truth  is  eternally 
springing  in  the  human  breast  is  that  its  very  soul  revolts  at  the  false 
training  of  the  human  mind  which  has  cost  more  health  than  all  other 
causes  combined.  False  notions  about  everything — eating,  drinking,  cloth- 
ing, amusement.  Beginning  with  the  false  notion  that  to  be  happy  here- 
after one  must  be  melancholy  here,  for  to  be  happy  here  meant  hell  here- 
after, the  education  of  the  generations  has  been  deliberately  perverted  from 
the  natural  to  the  imaginary;  from  the  wholesome  to  the  stale;  from  the 
inherent  good  to  the  exherent  bad.  They  have  been  taught  that  "man  is 
prone  to  evil  as  sparks  fly  upward,"  which  is  a  lie.  A  lie  that  has  bred  dis- 
trust, and  has  arrayed  mentality  against  mentality,  even  in  the  same  indi- 
vidual. Truth  springs  eternally  to  the  front,  only  to  be  crowded  back  by 
a  misfit  education  which  is  the  opposite  to  knowledge. 

Of  all  things  I  have  accomplished  in  a  busy  life  the  one  of  which  I  am 
absolutely  proud  is  the  emancipation  of  my  mind  from  the  superstitions 
of  my  ancestors  and  of  most  of  my  contemporaries.  I  now  think  without 
fear  or  favor;  I  analyze  my  thoughts  and  reach  conclusions  which  are  as 
clear  as  the  noonday  sun ;  to  those  who  really  think  I  can  give  expression 
and  not  be  misinterpreted;  to  those  who  are  still  fast  in  the  bonds  of  the 
dark  ages  I  give  only  a  part,  which,  of  course,  they  misconstrue.  Some 
people  can  read  between  the  lines  because  the  scales  have  been  lifted 
from  their  eyes.  To  them  I  have  redeeming  qualities  and  I  thank  them  for 
their  confidence.  I  know  them,  too;  though  they  think  I  do  not.  Then 
there  are  other  some  who  think  I  am  a  quarrelsome  old  ogre  with  long 
hair  and  whiskers,  and  claws,  and  tusks.  The  first  class  know,  with  me, 
the  rascality  and  cowardice  of  the  herd,  and  they  love  to  see  me  wield 
the  lash  in  my  paper  and  with  me  see  the  puppets  squirm.  .The  second 
class  fear  the  publicity  I  give  them,  their  holier-than-thou  pretenses,  their 
love  of  the  "dear  people,"  and  they  dodge  and  cast  insinuations  which  they 
dare  not  put  into  plain  language.  They  know  themselves  as  cowards  and 
they  know  I  know  them.  I  fear  them  not;  they  fear  me,  Why?  Because 
they  are  victims  of  ignorance  in  all  that  the  word  implies.  They  fear  to 
let  truth  get  the  ascendancy.     I  do  not.     I  encourage  it. 


Don't  eat  so  much — you'll  feel  better. 

Talk  not,  unless  you  have  something  to  say — better  think. 
If  one  knows  a  thing,  he  can  prove  it.     If  he  only  believes  it,  he  is  a 
chump. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


STIMULANTS— NARCOTICS. 


277 


One  of  the  Greatest  Evils  of  Our  Time  Is  the  Drug  Habit.     Absolutely 

Experimental. 

One  of  the  paradoxes  constantly  on  view  is  that  of  the  anti-whisky  peo- 
ple who  are  constantly  patrons  of  the  Nerve  Tonic  and  Antikamnia  counters 
of  the  drug  stores.  They  inveigh  against  the  saloon-keepers  until  they  are 
exhausted,  then  hie  themselves  to  the  nearest  drug  store  and  buy  a  bottle 
of  "Restorer,"  or  a  handful  of  headache  powders.  It  is  too  bad  that  physi- 
cians dole  out  as  much  as  they  do  but  when  the  public  begins  to  prescribe 
for  itself  the  druggist  begins  to  buy  automobiles. 

Stimulants  and  narcotics  are  the  same  devil;  one  is  the  obverse,  the 
-other  the  reverse  side.  Cut  him  open  and  you  will  find  one  devil  inside — he 
has  a  duality  too.     See? 

The  drug  stores  do  infinitely  more  harm  than  the  saloons,  because  they 
are  regarded  as  respectable.  Of  course  they  do  not  have  the  rough  crowds 
of  loafers,  but  any  child  can  get  a  prescription  filled  without  question,  or 
it  can  buy  headache  powders  or  almost  anything  except  arsenic,  opium,  and 
a  few  other  things.  The  little  ones  learn  from  their  parents  that  for  the 
effects  of  dissipation  a  big  dose  of  "bromidia"  is  a  stimulant,  so  they  take 
it,  take  another  whirl,  repeat,  etc.,  until  they  are  beyond  the  limit  angle, 
when  they  whine  and  blame  the  doctor  who  cannot  repair  the  damage  in  a 
day  or  two. 

A  small  dose  of  a  narcotic  is  a  stimulant.  A  big  dose  of  a  stimulant  is 
a  narcotic.     Beware  of  both. 

Neurologists  have  the  battle  of  their  lives  in  inaugurating  an  era  of 
drugless  medicine.  To  be  successful  they  must  have  their  own  way  with 
every  case.  It  is  Reason  and  Education  against  Superstition  and  Ignor- 
ance.    But  we  stand  on  solid  rock  while  the  others  are  on  the  sand. 


SOURCE  OF  BODY  HEAT. 

Healthy  People  Suffer  From  Neither  Heat  Nor  Cold.— The  Reason  For  It. 

These  little  five-minute  communications  are  given  for  the  purpose  of 
inculcating  the  idea  of  topical  study  and  to  illustrate  the  correlation  of 
things.  If  the  reader  will  put  the  ideas  into  practical  use  he  will  do  much 
toward  establishing  order  and  proving  the  simplicity  of  Nature.  You  may 
have  observed  that  some  lean  and  some  fat  people  suffer  from  cold  and 
heat  while  others  do  not.  Inquiry  and  tests  will  develop  the  fact  that  those 
who  feel  atmospheric  changes  keenly  are  short  of  nerve  supply.  The  mat- 
ter of  being  too  fat  or  too  lean  is  not  an  ungovernable  idiosyncrasy,  as 
many  imagine.  They  are  in  their  respective  conditions  merely  because 
they  do  not  eat  right,  with  reference  to  both  quality  and  quantity.  No 
matter  how  much  one  eats,  if  he  does  not  digest  and  assimilate  it  there  can 


278 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


be  no  fat ;  and  if  he  eats  the  fat-making  food  in  such  quantities  that  it  is  tak- 
en into  the  system  it  may  make  excess  fat,  but  in  the  absence  of  the  muscle 
and  nerve  elements  the  natural  result  is  weakness  from  the  overload  and 
lack  of  power. 

Then  physiological  defects  and  habits  may  add  to  the  complication  and 
dire  trouble  follow.  The  physician  who  does  not  know  the  mechanics  and 
chemistry  of  the  body  is  as  much  in  the  dark  as  his  patients. 

No  matter  whether  one  is  fat  or  lean,  if  his  nerve  supply  is  deficient 
he  will  feel  extreme  atmospheric  changes.  Even  those  who  are  perfectly 
well  will  feel  the  cold,  for  example,  on  going  out  in  the  morning  imme- 
diately after  rising,  when  the  day  current  is  not  yet  turned  on.  To  prove 
this,  go  out  some  morning  when  the  thermometer  registers  about  fifteen 
or  twenty  degrees  above  zero,  without  first  eating,  and  note  how  the  cold 
pinches.  Then  try  it  the  next  morning,  with  temperature  the  same,  but 
eat  something  first  to  start  the  digestive  apparatus  going,  noting  the  differ- 
ence. The  reason  is  clear ;  Nature  is  a  true  economist.  When  the  need  for 
the  stronger  current  ceases  the  current  shuts  off  automatically  and  must  be 
turned  on  again,  or  both  sensory  and  motive  powers  will  be  deficient.  If 
it  is  there  to  turn  on  all  is  well;  if  it  is  not  there  all  is  wrong.  Again  I 
assert  that  the  nerve  system  is  the  sole  source  of  heat  and  power,  that 
that  blood  is  to  distribute  elements  needed  for  tissue  building,  and  muscles 
are  the  mediums  through  which  power  is  applied. 


WHAT  NIGHT  SWEATS  MEAN. 

They  are  the  Natural  Product  of  Physiological   Strain  and  Are  Easily 

Controlled.  * 

Among  the  stubborn  things  the  old  school  doctors  meet,  few  are  more 
persistent  than  night  sweats.  However,  they  permit  the  patient  to  go 
about,  if  he  can,  and  continue  to  treat  until  the  case  gets  beyond  control  and 
the  undertaker  does  the  rest. 

To  the  neurologist  they  mean  the  patient  is  below  the  danger  line  and 
analysis  always  proves  the  correctness  of  his  diagnosis. 

The  voluntary  current  during  the  waking  hours  of  a  hyperope  of  i.oo 
L>.  is  23  per  cent  above  the  average  capacity  of  his  machinery.  This  strain 
combined  with  other  physiological  excess  demands  will,  eventually  weaken 
the  tank-supply  of  the  most  hardy  and  when  the  demand  ceases,  during 
sleep  or  when  the  person  lies  down  for  a  few  hours,  the  residue  is  not 
sufficient  to  keep  the  sympathetic  or  involuntary  current  going  to  the  sweat 
glands,  their  mouths  open  and  the  perspiration  pours  out.  Sweating  is  not 
a  cause  of  weakness.  .  The  weakness  is  the  cause  of  the  sweating.  Like 
many  other  things,  both  doctors  and  laity  have  this  thing  wrong  end  fore- 
most. 

The  neurologist  corrects  the  errors  of  refraction,  the  diet,  the  habits 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


279 


and  requires  absolute  rest,  which  is  the  only  rational  way  to  give  Nature, 
the  only  healer,  a  chance  to  work.  We  often  meet  the  objection  that  pa- 
tients do  not  want  to  wear  glasses.  We  meet  it  by  asking  if  they  would 
prefer  being  invalids  without  glasses  to  being  strong  with  them.  Thus 
given  the  choice  of  two  evils  only  fools  would  choose  the  greater.  I  am 
ashamed  to  be  compelled  to  say  many  physicians  ridicule  people  who  wear 
glasses  and  declare  it  a  fad.  T  have  even  seen  books  in  which  the  authors 
declare  they  diagnose  cases  by  the  eyes  and  yet  never  give  a  hint  that  they 
know  anything  about  the  possibility  of  hyperopia  and  the  damage  done  by 
efforts  to  overcome  it.  Some  go  so  far  as  to  assert  that  good  vision  proves 
the  eyes  perfect,  thus  establishing  their  criminal  ignorance. 


HOW  THE  BLOOD   CIRCULATES. 

The  Arterial  and  Venous  Systems — Things  the  Student  Must  Have  Well 

in  Mind. 

Arteries  and  veins  are  formed  of  three  coats  each :  an  internal,  serous, 
or  membranous  layer;  a  middle,  muscular  layer,  and  an  outer,  fibrous  layer. 
The  vaso-motor  nervous  system  operates  them.  The  arterial  action  is  a 
continuous,  rhythmic  motion,  as  the  heart  beats  start  the  waves  one  after 
the  other,  hence  this  system  needs  no  valves.  With  the  venous  system  it  is  a 
different  proposition ;  the  blood  is  flowing  toward  the  heart  in  them,  but  the 
propelling  force  is  not  so  direct,  therefore  Nature  has  provided  valves,  like 
canal  locks,  or  check-valves  in  water  and  steam  pipes,  so  that  when  the 
compression  forces  the  blood  out  of  one  valve  it  goes  into  the  next  one 
toward  the  heart.  The  vena-cava,  hepatic,  portal,  renal,  uterine,  ovarian, 
cerebral,  spinal,  pulmonary,  and  the  minute  capillaries  of  the  venous  system 
have  no  valves  because  the  larger  ones  are  emptied  by  the  action  of  the 
organs  with  which  they  are  connected  and  the  small  ones  by  the  action  of 
the  larger. 

These  vascular  systems  are  connected  with  each  other,  and  their 
branches  with  each  other,  so  that  the  blood  finds  its  way  readily  to  every 
part.  This  connection  is  called  anastomosis.  Following  is  a  list  of  im- 
portant arteries  and  their  branches : 

Aorta,  from  left  ventricle  of,  heart,  gives  off  two  coronary  branches 
just  behind  the  semi-lunar  valves,  which  supply  the  tissues  of  the  heart; 
then  comes  the  arch  or  thoracic  aorta,  from  which  branch  the  innominate 
about  (1  1/2  inches  long),  the  left  common  carotid  and  left  subclavian; 
next  comes  the  abdominal  aorta  which  branches  into  the  two  common  iliacs, 
the  coeliac  axis,  superior  and  inferior  mesenteric. 

Innominate,  from  arch,  divides  into  right  common  carotid  and  right 
subclavian. 

Common  carotids  divide  into  the  external  and  internal  carotids,  and  in 


280  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

some  disorders  the  external  may  be  seen  pulsating  rapidly  as  they  pass 
up  the  sides  of  the  neck  toward  the  ears. 

Subclavian,  go  to  the  neck,  thorax,  brain. 

Common  Iliacs,  from  aorta,  branch  into  external  and  internal  iliacs, 
which  supply  the  lower  limbs,  the  pelvic  and  generative  organs. 

Coelia  Axis,  from  aorta,  to  stomach,  liver  and  spleen. 

Mesenteric,  superior,  from  aorta,  to  small  intestines,  caecum  and  color. 

Mesenteric,  inferior,  from  aorta,  {o  descending  colon  and  rectum. 

Auricular,  from  external  carotid,  to  ears  and  scalp. 

Axillary,  from  subclavian,  to  brachial. 

Brachial,  from  axilliary,  to  radial  and  ulnar. 

Radial,  from  brachial,  to  forearm,  wrist  and  hand. 

Ulnar,  from  brachial,  to  same  as  radial. 

Palmer,  from  ulnar  to  palm  and  fingers. 

Internal  carotid,  from  common  carotid,  to  forehead,  eyes  and  nose. 

External  carotid,  from  common  carotid,  to  jaws,  tongue,  ears,  external 
head  and  the  brain. 

Iliac,  external  and  internal,  from  common  iliac,  branches  to  femoral. 

Femoral  branches  to  popliteal. 

Popliteal  branches  to  anterior  and  posterior  tibial. 

Anterior  and  posterior  tibial  branch  to  dorsal  pedis  and  plantar  to  toes. 

'The  four  last  lines  refer  to  the  supply  of  the  hips,  thigh,  legs  and  foot. 

Epigastric,  from  external  iliac,  to  abdominal  wall. 

Femoral,  from  external  iliac,  pudic,  to  procreative  organs. 

Facial,  from  external  carotid,  to  pharynx  and  face. 

Mammary,  from  subclavian,  to  breasts. 

Occipital,  from  external  carotid,  to  neck. 

Ophthalmic,  from,  internal  carotid,  to  eyes. 

Pulmonary,  from  right  ventricle,  to  lungs. 

Sciatic,  from  internal  iliac,  to  muscles  back  of  pelvis. 

Thyroid  axis,  from  subclavian,  to  muscles  of  shoulder,  neck,  thorax,, 
spine,  etc. 

Temporal,  from  external  carotid  to  ear,  forehead,  etc. 

Vertebral,  from  subclavian,  to  neck  and  cerebrum. 

There  are,  of  course,  veins  corresponding  to  the  arteries  described,  but 
there  are  some  features  of  the  venous  department  with  which  the  student 
should  familiarize  himself.  Some  of  them,  particularly  at  the  base  of  the 
skull  are  enlarged  canals  into  which  the  blood  from  the  various  parts  of 
the  head  and  brain  empty  and  if  they  fill  more  rapidly  than  the  jugular  and 
subclavian  can  carry  the  blood  away,  there  is  pressure  on  the  nerves,  head- 
aches, strokes  of  "apoplexy"  and  sometimes  hemorrhages,  then  clots  on  the 
brain  and  paresis  or  death. 

The  jugular  and  subclavian  veins  gather  the  blood  of  the  upper  ex- 
tremities and  pour  it  into  the  innominate  veins  which  unite  to  form  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  28l 

superior  vena-cava.  The  right  innominate  is  i  1/2  inches  long  and  the  left 
is  3  inches;  the  superior  vena-cava  is  3  inches.  The  internal  iliacs  gather 
up  the  blood  from  the  feet  and  legs  and  deliver  it  to  the  common  iliacs 
which  unite  to  form  the  inferior  vena-cava. 

The  pulmonary  veins  carry  fresh  blood  from  the  lungs  to  the  left 
auricle  of  the  heart  into  which  they  empty  through  from  two  to  five 
openings. 

The  portal  vein  is  formed  from  the  union  of  the  superior  and  inferior 
mesenteric,  splenic  and  gastric  veins;  it  delivers  crude  blood  to  the  liver 
through  two  divisions,  and  after  it  has  passed  through  the  ramifications 
of  that  organ,  it  is  sent  through  the  hepatic  vein  into  the  inferior  vena-cava. 

The  venous  system  is,  therefore,  divided  into  four  departments,  the 
Pulmonary,  the  Systemic,  the  Portal  and  the  Hepatic:  and  when  the  stu- 
dent knows  the  particulars  about  these  he  is  in  pretty  fair  condition  for  an 
argument  or  practice,  so  far  as  they  are  concerned. 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  NERVE  FORCE. 

One  of  Our  Practical  Proceedures  in  Handling  an  Average  Case. 

The  first  essential  in  handling  any  machine  is  to  know  its  capacity. 
But  no  machine  will  stand  working  up  to  its  full  capacity,  and  in  this  respect 
the  human  body  is  not  unlike  other  machines ;  therefore  we  want  its  average 
capacity,  which  we  learn  from  nature  by  ascertaining  the  normal  demands 
upon  it  by  the  best  means  at  our  command ;  this  we  find  in  the  eyes  when 
they  are  normal,  and  as  such  eyes  are  scarce  we  take  the  ideal  schematic 
eye  for  the  basis  of  our  calculation ;  thus  in  emmetropia  the  demand  equals 
only  the  sympathetic  supply  for  distant  vision ;  for  near  work,  13  inches. 

For  accommodation,  L.  .3.00 

R.  3.00  total  6.00  D. 
For  auto-convergence  L.   1.50 

R.   1.50  total  3.00  D. 


.  Grand .  total  9.       D.  per  second. 
9  X  60  X  60  X  3  =  97,200  Di  in  three  hours'  work. 

Add  for  other  branches  of  3d,  for  2d,  4th,  6th  and  1/3  of  5th,  2,800,  and 
we  have  a  total  to  the  eyes  of  100,000  D.  daily,  for  41/3  pairs  of  nerves 
to  the  eyes.  As  this  is  one-tenth  of  all  the  nerves  in  the  body  the  same 
ratio  would  mean  1,000,000  D.  daily  demands  for  the  entire  body. 

Dividing  this  1,000,000  according  to  our  judgment,  from  the  relative 
labor  the  various  parts  perform,  we  get  the  following : 


282  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS 

Eyes,  via  2d,  4th,  6th  and  1/3  of  5th  nerves 100,000  D. 

Cranial  viscera .  .  50,000  D. 

Thoracic  viscera ....-..., 150,000  D. 

Abdominal  viscera 400,000  D. 

Arterial  and  venous  systems 100,000  D. 

Sympathetic  and  glandular  systems 50,000  D. 

Appendages 100,000  D. 

Incidentals  not  included  in  the  above > 50,000  D. 

Total 1 ,. . .  .  1,000,000  D. 

An  important  subdivision  of  this  is  the  abdominal  viscera. 

For  the  stomach , 50,000  D. 

For  the  liver 100,000  D. 

For  the  spleen  and  pancreas 50,000  D. 

For  the  kidneys 50,000  D* 

For  the  bladder  and  procreative  organs 50,000  D. 

For  the  intestines  and  mesenteries .  100,000  D. 

Total 400,000  D. 

One  of  the  chief  points  in  our  practice  is  in  knowing  how  to  determine 
when  any  of  the  departments  of  the  body  are  overtaxed.  The  first  named, 
the  eyes,  are  the  only  ones  in  which  we  can  find  the  exact  conditions,  but 
by  their  showing  we  are  able  to  treat  all  the  others  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  be  on  the  safe  side,  so  that  no  possible  harm  can  result  and  the  greatest 
opportunity  for  Nature's  good  offices  is  afforded.  We  can  sometimes 
render  further  assistance  by  adjusting  and  manipulating  joints  and  muscles 
thus  the  whole  story  in  a  nutshell  is  simple,  but  to  do  all  these  things 
requires  a  more  thorough  understanding  of  normal  anatomy  and  physiology 
than  is  tafught  in  old-school  medical  colleges,  and  to  this  we  add  physics 
and  personal  skill,  which  embodies  gentleness  above  all  other  things. 

This  brings  us  to  conditions  as  we  find  them. .  The  eyes  are  the  gauges 
through  which  we  get  accurate  data,  and  as  it  gives  us  a  basis  upon  which 
to  figure  all  kinds  of  errors,  we  take  a  hyperope  of  1.00  D.,  which  shows 
the  actual  excess  demands  above  the  average  capacity  as  follows : 

For  accommodation,  L.  1.00 

R.  1.00  total,  2.00  D. 

For  auto-convergence)  L.      .50 

R.      .50 
For  negative  pull,  L.       .5o 

Via  6th  nerve,  R.      .50  total,  2.00 

Grand  total,     4  D.  per  second 
4  X  60  X  60  X  16  =  230,400  D.  in  16  hours,  or  just  that  much  more 
than  the  emmetrope. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


283 


The  fact  that  we  use  the  same  estimate  for  the  balance  in  both 
emmetropia  and  hyperopia  gives  us,  by  the  law  of  ratios,  absolutely  an  in- 
creased demand  in  hyperopia  of  23.04  per  cent,  by  any  rational  system  of 
figuring. 

In  making  calculation  for  any  other  amount  of  hyperopia,  all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  substitute  the  amounts  under  the  subheads,  Accommoda- 
tion, Convergence  and  Negative  Pull,  with  this  exception,  that  when  the 
case  is  a  compound  one,  such  as 

L  -f-  2.00  —  1. 00  ax.   180 
R  +   2.00  —     .75  ax.   180 
we  take  the  +  spheres  as  they  come  from  the  trial  frame,  ignoring  the 
cylinders,  and  put  under  Convergence  1.00  for  each  eye  and  Negative  Pull, 
1. 00  for  each  eye.     Or  if  the  prescription  as  it  comes  from  the  trial  frame  is 

L  +  2.50  —  1.50  ax.  180 
R  -f-  1.50  —  ,50  ax.  180 
we  proceed  in  one  of  two  ways :  first  find  which  is  the  fixing  eye  by  having 
the  patient  look  at  a  distant  object  with  both  eyes  open,  place  his  finger 
against  his  nose,  then  push  it  straight  away  to  arm's  length,  holding  it  so 
that  it  is  directly  between  him  and  a  light  placed  twenty  feet  away,  then 
cover  the  eyes  alternately  and  note  which  eye  is  in  line  with  finger  and 
light;  if  either  is,  it  establishes  which  is  the  fixing  eye,  and  we  base  our 
calculation  on  the  asumption  that  both  eyes  are  accommodating  the  amount 
of  that  one's  error.  Thus  in  the  above  case  if  the  right  eye  fixed,  we  as- 
sume that  the  occommodation  in  each  is  1.50,  but  if  the  left  eye  fixed  we 
would  use  that  figure  for  each  eye.  If  neither  eye  fixes,  the  light  being  dis- 
placed as  much  for  one  as  for  the  other,  we  simply  add  the  two  spheres 
together  and  multiply  by  two,  thus  splitting  the  difference  between  the 
maximum  and  minimum  possibilities.  We  thus  get  at  the  total  nerve 
strain  very  closely. 

In  myopia  the  way  we  calculate  nerve  strain  is  to  find  the  patient's 
usual  reading  distance  without  glasses,  measure  the  distance  in  inches, 
then  find  his  correction  and  calculate,  as  follows : 

Suppose  the  usual  reading  distance  is  six  inches,  but  the  test  shows  he 
is  a  myope  of  only  2.00  D. ;  we  know  from  the  fact  that  he  can  not  read  at 
twenty  inches  that  the  convergent  act  brings  with  it  automatically  accom- 
modation, thus  shortening  the  distance  of  his  far  point  until  he  reaches  the 
limit  angle  of  the  automatic  relationship,  hence  he  must  be  using  energy 
as  follows :    For  convergence,   L.      3.25 

R.      3.25  total,  6.50  D. 

For  auto-accommodation,  L.      4.50 

Less  his  myopia,  R.      4.50  total,     9.00  D. 

Grand  total,     15.50  D.  per  second 
15.50  X  60  X  60  X  3  =  167,400  D. 


284  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

This  is  on  the  proposition  that  he  works  at  close  work  three  hours 
daily.  Now  by  correcting  this  patient  with  about  —  1.75  so  as  to  be  sure 
and  not  overcorrect,  it  reduces  his  strain  to  practically  that  of  emmetropia. 
Of  course  the  extra  demands  in  myopia  are  only  temporary  while  in  hyper- 
opia they  are  constant,  hence  it  is  rare  that  we  find  a  myope  suffering  from 
the  troubles  which  are  found  so  commonly  associated  with  hyperopia. 

Where  one  eye  is  hyperopic  and  the  other  myopic  we  of  course  base 
our  calculation  upon  the  hyperopic  eye,  and  a  quick  way  to  get  the  total 
strain  per  second  is  to  multiply  the  +  sphere  by  four. 

In  making  the  myopic  calculation,  if  the  test  discloses  compound  my- 
opia, allow  only  for  the  spheres,  but  if  it  discloses  simple  myopic  astig- 
matism, allow  for  the  cylinder  as  if  it  were  a  sphere. 

In  the  matter  of  the  thoracic  viscera,  the  heart  and  lungs,  we  may  ob- 
serve respiration  and  the  heart-beats  by  listening,  and  calculate  the  abnormal 
strain  if  they  are  running  too  fast,  but  as  that  might  be  only  temporary  it 
would  scarcely  be  satisfactory,  and  in  many  of  our  patients  we  will  find 
weakness  exhibited,  hence  they  are  only  diagnostic  symptoms. 
The  cranial  viscera  afford  the  mental  symptoms. 

The  arterial  and  venous  systems  exhibit  externally  and  by  the  oph- 
thalmoscope, and  being  associated  with  the  heart  will  partake  of  its  weak 
nesses,  which  are  of  course  caused  by  a  weak  nerve  supply  in  the  cere- 
bellum. 

The  sympathetic  and  glandular  systems  exhibit  the  secondary  effects 
of  the  nerve  supply  and  show  externally  by  pimples  and  deposits  of  gran- 
ulated chyle. 

The  appendages,  arms  and  legs,  exhibit  in  cold  hands  and  feet,  also 
numbness. 

The  abdominal  viscera  is  where  the  most  emphatic  disorders  occur;  the 
acute  forms  produce  serious  pains  and  considerable  damage  from  shock, 
but  when  they  assume  a  chronic  form  they  are  less  dangerous,  although  in 
a  way  more  important,  because  the  victims  not  only  suffer  but  they  force 
everybody  around  them  to  participate. 

Overloading  the  stomach  also  imposes  on  all  the  other  organs  associ- 
ated with  it,  not  only  requiring  a  greater  effort  to  perform  the  work,  but 
even  then  it  is  not  performed  so  well,  hence  the  return  or  product  with 
which  to  replenish  the  supply  in  the  nerve  tank  is  not  nearly  so  much  as  it 
would  be  if  less  food  had  been  eaten  and  digested  perfectly.  Almost  every- 
one eats  too  much,  and  they  eat  the  wrong  way. 

We  have  given  the  abdominal  viscera  400,000  units  to  run  it  normally. 
If  the  patient  was  eating  twenty-five  per  cent  more  food  by  his  old  method, 
it  certainly  demanded  twenty-five  per  cent  more  energy  to  run  his  machin- 
ery, hence  if  the  400,000  estimate  is  right  he  must  have  been  demanding 
500,000,    so   we   have    gained   the    difference.        Then    by    changing    the 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


38S 


quality  of  his  food  to  that  which  yields  more  muscle  and  nerve  elements 
we  calculate  the  gain  in  this  v/ay :  First,  we  reduce  th^  carbons  seventy- 
five  per  cent ;  second,  we  increase  the  nitrates  and  phosphates  one  hundred 
per  cent;  in  other  words,  instead  of  four  points  carbon  to  one  of  nitrates 
and  phosphates  we  have  two  points  of  nitrates  and  phosphates  to  one  of 
carbon,  a  gain  of  one  hundred  per  cent,  in  the  latter  and  a  reduction  of 
seventy-five  per  cent  in  the  other,  making  a  net  gain  in  the  whole  of  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  but  when  we  figure  that  in  the  reduction  of  carbon  we  have 
reduced  the  labor  from  400,000  to  100,000  units,  and  increased  the  product 
with  which  to  replenish  the  nerve  supply  one  hundred  per  cent,  with  prac- 
tically no  increase  in  the  demand  for  nerve  supply  to  handle  it,  it  is  safe 
to  count  the  net  gain  fifty  per  cent.  Therefore  if  the  case  has  been  de- 
manding 500,000  units  daily  to  do  400,000  units  worth  of  work  poorly,  and 
we  have  saved  half  of  it,  he  will  now  do  the  400,000  units  worth  of  work 
with  250,000  units,  leaving  the  extra  150,000  to  replenish  the  tank.  In 
connection  with  this  if  we  require  the  patient  to  take  a  vacation  from  his 
daily  work,  thus  saving  at  least  fifty  per  cent  of  the  amount  assigned  to  the 
appendages  and  to  the  cranial  viscera,  we  contribute  another  seven  and 
one-half  per  cent,  and  by  regulating  his  habits,  etc.,  we  can  see  where 
much  more  supply  comes  from  and  it  is  not  at  all  marvelous  that  we  get 
the  results  we  do. 

It  is  equally  clear  that  if  the  patient  fail  for  any  reason  to  follow  in- 
structions, these  savings  cannot  occur.  This  point  must  be  impressed  abso- 
lutely. 

It  is  a  very  common  thing  for  a  patient  to  report  that  if  he  eats  a  light 
supper  and  is  up  late  at  work  or  pleasure,  he  gets  hungry  and  cannot  sleep. 
While  he  is  under  treatment  he  must  not  be  up  late,  but  if  he  gets  hungry  in 
the  night  and  awakens,  he  should  get  up  and  eat  a  cracker  and  an  apple, 
drink  a  glass  of  water  and  go  back  to  bed.  After  he  is  discharged  well  he 
will  not  have  those  attacks,  because  we  increase  the  meals  up  to  an  average 
that  will  obviate  all  such  chances. 

The  next  question  that  arises  is  how  much  food  and  exercise  is  suffi* 
cient  to  maintain  a  production  of  a  million  units  daily.  Six  pints  of  + 
foods,  half  of  it  water,  milk,  tea,  coffee  or  lemonade,  is  sufficient.  The  — 
foods  would  never  do  it  in  any  quantity ;  it  is  not  in  them. 

Briefly,  we  make  part  of  our  nervous  calculation  at  the  first  examina- 
tion, then  we  make  the  other  parts  from  time  to  time  as  the  case  progresses 
until  we  find  by  the  final  examination  that  the  machinery  is  running  nor- 
mally, the  alleged  diseases  have  disappeared,  the  patient  is  gratified  and 
wiser,  and  we  discharge  him  cured. 

Always  remember  that  by  the  old  systems  was  produced  the  old  adage, 
"The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,"  and  the  way  we  utilize  it  for 
good  is  this :  We  charge  a  big  fee  and  get  it  in  advance,  so  that  the  patient's 


286  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

love  of  getting  his  money's  worth  will  force  him  to  follow  instructions. 
Thus  we  reverse  this  proposition  as  we  have  been  doing  all  others  through- 
out this  work,  and  make  the  love  of  money  the  root  of  all  good. 


GANGLIA  AND  PLEXUSES. 

The  First  Are  Semi-Independent  Nerve  Centers  and  the  Second  Are  Net- 
Works  Formed  by  the  Branches. 

The  chief  ganglia  of  the  nervous  system  are  the  cerebellum  and  the 
medulla  oblongata.  What  is  known  commonly  as  the  sympathetic  system 
comprises  two  chains  of  ganglia  located  on  either  side  of  the  spinal  coir 
umn,  connected  by  branches ;  it  begins  at  the  medulla  and  ends  in  front  of 
the  coccyx.  Then,  in  the  anterior  portion  of  the  trunk  the  branches  form 
plexuses,  which  are  also  connected  by  smaller  branches,  thus  completing  a 
double  circuit.  It  is  through  this  system  the  involuntary  current  is  dis- 
tributed and  in  case  of  vertebral  luxations  which  put  enough  pressure  on  the 
spinal  nerves  to  interfere  with  circulation,  these  supplementary  lines  are 
utilized ;  but  the  wattage  is  necessarily  reduced  and  the  organic  disturbance 
is  great.  When  the  old  schools  learn  this  fact  the  osteopath  will  have  no 
place  in  the  field  because  he  knows  little  else. 

The  cardiac,  carotid,  cervical,  diaphragmatic,  semi-lunar  and  supra- 
renal are  the  principal  ganglia  after  the  cerebellum  and  medulla;  they  are 
distributed  respectively  to  the  heart,  carotid  arteries,  lungs,  stomach,  liver 
and  kidneys. 

The  cardiac,  carotid,  cervical,  coronary,  hypogastric,  prostatic,  pul- 
monary, sacral,  solar  and  vesicle,  are  the  chief  plexuses.  The  familiar 
"solar"  plexus  is  situated  just  behind  the  stomach  and  is  formed  from 
branches  of  the  pneumogastric  and  splanchnic  nerves ;  the  first  affords  direct 
and  the  other  indirect  communication  with  the  brain,  so  that  shock  or  strain 
is  sure  to  be  reported  promptly.  This  plexus  is  really  a  combination  of  the 
coeliac,  gastric,  hepatic,  phrenic,  renal,  splenic,  supra-renal,  spermatic, 
superior  and  inferior  mesenteric  plexuses. 

The  cranial  nerves  are  really  rooted  in  the  medulla.  They  have  num- 
bers, names,  functions  and  distributions  as  follows : 

i.     Olfactory  (sensory),  to  nose;  twenty  branches. 
.2.     Optic  (sensory),  to  eyes;  form  retina. 

3.  Motor-oculi  (motion),  to  all  eye  muscles,  save  two;  eight  branches. 

■ 

4.  Trochlear  (motion),  to  superior  oblique  of  eyes. 

5.  Trigeminus  (m.  &  s.),  to  jaws,  face  and  eyes;  three  branches. 

6.  Abducens  (motion),  to  external  recti  of  eyes. 

7.  Portio-dura  (m.  &  s.),  to  face,  ears,  etc.;  many  branches. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


287 


8.  Auditory  (sensory),  to  ears;  two  branches. 

9.  Glossopharyngeal  (sensory),  to  tongue;  six  branches. 

10.  Pneumogastric  (m.  &  s.),  to  lungs,  stomach,  heart,  liver,  etc. 

11.  Spinal  Accessory  (m.  &  s.),  to  the  tenth. 

12.  Hypo-glossal  (motion),  to  tongue;  several  branches. 

The  spinal  nerves  are  in  groups  according  to  the  vertebrae  from  which 


Fig.  106 


they  come;  8  cervical;  12  dorsal;  5  lumbar;  5. sacral,  and  1  coccygeal.  They 
appear  on  each  side  of  the  spinal  column  and  each  has  its  anterior  and 
posterior  divisions.     The  latter  go  to  the  skin  and  muscles  of  the  back 


^gg  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

while  the  former  supply  the  internal  apparatus.  Some  of  the  more  import- 
ant of  the  anterior  ones  have  ascending  and  descending  branches. 

The  first  four  cervical  form  the  cervical  plexus,  go  to  the  upper  extrem-* 
ities  and  send  some  branches  to  the  thoracic  viscera. 

The  other  four  cervical  and  the  first  dorsal  form  the  brachial  plexus, 
which  lies  in  the  neck ;  these  do  the  chief  work  of  the  upper  extremities  and 
supply  the  pectoral  muscles  of  the  trunk. 

The  dorsal  plexuses,  superior  and  inferior,  supply  the  skin  of  the  trunk 
and  abdomen,  the  intercostal  and  abdominal  muscles. 

The  lumbar  plexus  supplies  the  hypogastric  and  inguinal  regions,  the 
procreative  organs,  the  legs  and  feet. 

The  sacral  plexus  supplies  the  sciatic,  pudic  and  assists  the  lumbar 
plexuses. 

The  coccygeal  plexus  is  where  the  double  chain  of  ganglia  complete 
the  circuit.  This  is  why  injury  to  this  region  from  falls,  etc.,  often  pro- 
duces neurasthenia  to  such  an  extent  that  the  coccyx  has  to  be  removed  so 
Nature  can  form  new  connections. 

Reference  to  Fig.  106  will  be  a  reminder  that  the  pneumogastric  and 
splanchnic  nerves  are  the  most  important  of  all;  it  will  also  show  how 
easily  trouble  can  be  caused  by  luxations  of  the  4th  to  12th  dorsal  vertebra. 
A  luxation  is  a  minor  dislocation. 


CYCLOPLEGICS,  MYDRIATICS,  MYOTICS. 
Something  About  Drugs  for  Which  the  Neurologist  Has,  Occasionally,  a 

Little  Use. 

Cycloplegics  are  drugs  which  dilate  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  and  break 
down  spasm  of  the  ciliary  nerves.  Mydriatics  are  those  which  only  dilate 
the  pupils.  Those  commonly  used  are:  (1),  Atropine,  an  alkaloid  of 
Atropa-Belladonna,  or  Deadly  Night-shade;  (2),  Homatropine,  a  product 
of  Atropine;  (3),  Dubaisine,  from  Duboisia  Myoporoides;  (4),  Hyoscamine, 
or  Scopolamine,  from  Scopolia  Japonica;  (5),  Daturine,  from  Daturia 
Stramonium;  (6),  Gelsemine,  from  Gelsemium  Sempervirens ;  (7),  Cocaine, 
from  Erythroxylon  Coca. 

Those  in  most  common  use  are  Atrophia-sulphate  and  Scopolamine. 
They  are  often  used  in  solution  of  2  to  4  per  cent.  The  objections  to 
their  use  are:  (1),  the  length  of  time  required  to  secure  complete  mydriasis; 
(2),  the  discomfort  to  the  patient  from  the  effect  on  the  general  system 
which  it  enters  via,  the  tear-duct  through  the  nose  and  throat;  (3),  it  does 
not  keep  longer  than  a  couple  of  weeks;  (4),  the  dose  in  unavoidably  inac- 
curate as  to  strength. 

Homatropine,  combined  with  Cocaine,  and  put  up  in  gelatin  disks  is  th*» 
most  satisfactory  of  all  because,  (1),  the  accuracy  of  the  dose;  (2),  it  keeps 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  28o 

indefinitely ;  (3),  it  acts  quickly ;  (4),  there  is  absolutely  no  danger  in  its  use. 

The  disks,  as  put  up  by  chemists,  and  kept  by  all  wholesale  drug  and 
optical  houses,  are  in  bone  boxes  or  glass  bottles,  each  containing  fifty 
disks.     The  stock  numbers  of  the  ones  most  used  are : 

No.  338  Homatropine  and  Cocaine,  1/50  grain  of  each  in  each  disk. 
One  disk  in  each  eye,  under  the  upper  lid  (which  should  be  everted  and  the 
disk  placed  on  the  conjunctiva,  so  it  will  be  above  the  apex  of  the  cornea), 
will  smart  slightly  for  a  few  moments,  during  which  time  the  eyes  should  be 
kept  closed;  after  twenty  minutes  the  pupils  will  dilate,  and  in  about  one 
hour  the  patient  should  be  unable  to  read  ordinary  print  at  any  distance,  but 
it  does  not  totally  paralyze  the  accommodation  as  I  have  shown  elsewhere 
in  this  book.  The  effects  pass  away  in  about  twelve  to  twenty-four  hours, 
and  there  are  none  of  the  after-effects  which  are  so  common  in  the  use  of 
the  solutions. 

No.  336  Homatropine  1/500  grain,  is  used  as  the  other;  dilates  the  pupil 
for  ophthalmoscopic  examinations,  and  may  be  used  on  old  people  to  enable 
the  physician  to  examine  cataracts  in  order  to  ascertain  their  condition. 

No.  323  cocaine  muriate,  is  a  local  anesthetic,  used  to  deaden  the  con- 
junctiva while  foreign  bodies  imbedded  therein  are  removed.  Takes  effect 
in  about  six  minutes,  and  passes  off  in  about  twenty  minutes ;  dilates  pupil 
for  several  hours.  As  soon  as  smarting  ceases  after  inserting,  go  to  work 
on  the  object. 

Myotics  produce  artificial  stimulation  to  the  sphincter  muscles.  Those 
most  used  are  Eserine,  Calabarine  and  Physostigmine,  all  Alkaloids  of  Cala- 
bar Bean. 

No.  331  Eserine  1/1000  grain  to  the  disk  is  used  as  the  others,  except 
for  the  opposite  effect.  In  some  instances  of  iritis  with,  spasm  of  accommo- 
dation there  is  danger  of  the  iris  adhering  to  the  lens,  and  if  it  does,  Atropine 
is  used  to  pull  it  loose,  alternating  it  with  Esrine  to  prevent  mutilation 
of  the  membranes.  Again,  in  myosis,  or  enlarged  pupil  from  inaction  of 
the  sphincter  muscles  of  the  iris,  Eserine  is  used  in  the  effort  to  stimulate 
it  to  action. 

They  are  worthless  except  in  tonic  spasm  where  there  is  danger  of 
adhesion  of  iris  and  lens,  or  where  the  cocaine  is  necessary  to  permit  the 
removal  of  foreign  bodies.     I  have  never  had  occasion  to  use  a  myotic. 


QUADRALITY  OF  MAN. 
He  must  be  Intelligent. 
He  must  be  Brave. 
He  must  be  Generous. 
He  must  be  Honest. 

The  longer  one  travels  in  the  wrong  direction  the  farther  he  gets  from 
the  point  he  thinks  he  aims  for. 


290 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


BACILLI  AND  THE  DOCTORS. 

An  Expert  Opinion  Secured  Several  Years  Ago,  Which  Seems  to  Apply 

To-Day. 

In  the  year  igoo  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  overhear  a  conversation 
between  two  Irish  women,  one  of  whom  gave  the  following  with  reference 
to  the  pet  fads  of  the  medical  trust,  microbes  and  antitoxins.  I  secured 
it  verbatim  and  give  it  here  that  it  may  be  preserved  for  future  generations. 
Said  Mrs.  Gilhooley  to  Mrs.  Finnegan : 

"It  bates  all,  Mrs.  Finnegan,  what  the  doctors  do  be  discoverin'  from 
toime  to  toime  these  days.  Ye  naw  it  was  long  ago  proved  be  dhrafts  on 
their  imagination  or  some  other  equally  reliable  headquarters,  that  maany 
diseases  come  from  a  bug  they  call  a  mickrobe — just  why  the  fling  at  the 
Irish  Oi  dinnaw,  but  that's  what  they  calls  thim  just  the  same.  And  they're 
small  bastes — tin  thousand  oithim  in  wan  dhrop  av  blood,  and  each  wan 
lousy  with  smaller  wans. 

"How  do  they  git  in  the  blood?  Well,  that's  the  paart  Oi'm  comin' 
to.  It's  the  most  wonderful  thing  that's  happened  since  Assculazarus  dis- 
covered medicum  doctorum. 

"Away  over  in  England,  where  most  trouble  begins,  near  the  town  of 
Manchester,  there  was  a  farmer  with  a  lot  av  sick  childer,  and  he  thrun  the 
rayfuse  on  a  manure  pile.  The  childer  had  the  bugs,  or  the  bugs  had  the 
childer  and  tired  av  thim  and  took  the  first  opportunity  to  leave,  Oi 
dinnaw  which,  but  no  mather,  the  manure  pile  got  the  bugs  and  whin  the 
first  frost  come  made  it  so  hot  for  thim  they  moved  on  by  way  of  a  layer 
av  sand  underneath  and  crawled  to  the  river  four  miles  southeast.  From 
there  they  swam  along  down  the  Hudson  till  opposite  Sing  Sing  whin  they 
obsarved  a  dairy  faarm  and  wan  av  them  says,  'Oh !  oh !'  or  words  to  that 
effect,  'here's  a  chanct  for  fun.'  Then  they  all  left  the  river  through  another 
layer  av  sand,  and  made  sthraight  for  the  well  on  the  place  and  concealed 
thimselves  in  the  dhrops  of  water  so  that  whin  the  milkman  came  to  fill  up 
his  cans  they'd  be  in  it,  d'ye  see? 

"Pritty  soon  ivery  man,  woman,  child  and  poodle  dog  in  that  town  had 
bugs — an'  don't  forgit  the  quantities  av  thim,  Mrs.  Finnegan — tin  millions 
for  ivery  dhrop  av  blood  in  their  poor  bodies.     That's  a  heap. 

"Well,  wan  o'  thim  perfessors  of  the  New  York  board  of  health  saw  it 
in  a  rare  opporthuriity  to  do  something  great  for  humanity  and  make  a  name 
for  himself  with  the  possibility  of  havin'  a  holiday  set  apart  in  his  mem- 
ory, like  the  good  St.  Patrick,  so  up  he  comes  to  Sing  Sing  and  catches 
a  few  bugs  in  a  bottle.  Then  he  thought  he'd  out-Pathrick  the  blissed  ould 
saint  himself  by  bottlin'  thim  all,  but  he  soon  gave  that  up  on  account  av 
the  scarcity  av  help,  the  majority  av  Englishmen  and- Americans  bein'  busy 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


291 


in  South  Africa,  the  Philipeens  and  Chiny,  and  he  didn't  want  to  thrust  the 
Germans,  becuz  they're  some  buggins  thimselves,  so  he  tried  killin'  av  thim 
wid  asafidity  and  other  truck,  but  the  people  wouldn't  stand  fer  that,  sayhV 
they'd  as  soon  live  in  the  stock-yards  district  at  once  and  fer  all. 

"Thin  he  hits  upon  a  scheme  that  he  is  shure  will  work.  It  is  to  catch 
as  many  as  he  can  with  the  assistance  av  the  rest  av  the  docthers  in  the  new 
company  he  has  organized,  tame  thim  and  put  thim  into  well  people  by  the 
hypodrumic  injunction  and  whin  the  wild  divils  come  there'll  be  throuble 
becuz  the  old  residents  '11  resint  the  inthrusion,  and — hesto!  presto!  Kil- 
kenny cats.  D'ye  see,  Mrs.  Finnegan?  It's  a  mane  thrick  to  play  on  the 
tame  wans,  but  as  the  docther  says,  'the  manes  justifies  the  ind'. 

"He's  organized  a  company  composed  av  all  the  docthors,  or  nearly  all 
av  thim,  in  towns  where  there  is  boards  av  health — for  that  is  the  place 
where  the  greatest  danger  is, Mrs.  Finnegan — they  are  goin'  to  have  a 
law  passed  to  make  everybody  take  in  the  tame  wans  whether  they  want  to 
or  not,  then  they're  goin'  to  make  more  money  than  the  Standard  Oil 
Company. 

"Where  did  the  English  farmer's  childer  get  the  bugs  in  the  first  place? 
Why,  Mrs.  Finnegan,  how  can  you  ask  such  a  question?  Don't  you 
know  the  devil's  in  an  Englishman,  anyhow?" 


SOME  OPTICAL  STATISTICS, 
interesting  Data  Which  Offer  Suggestions  to  the  Ambitious  Practitioner. 
As  the  two  greatest  faults  among  oculists  and  opticians  are  that  they 
rarely  get  on  enough  -f-  and  often  give  too  much  —  lenses,  the  following 
statistics  are  given  just  as  they  come  from  my  files,  and  are  the  findings  in 
428  consecutive  cases  aggregating  856  eyes: 

Simple  hyperopia,  387,  or  about  45  per  cent. 

Compound  hyperopia,  287,  or  about  33  per  cent. 

Simple  hyperopic  astigmatism,    44,  or  about     5  per  cent. 
Simple  myopia,  41,  or  about     5  per  cent. 

Compound  myopia,  32,  or  about     4  per  cent. 

Simple  myopic  astigmatism,         7,  or  about     1  per  cent. 
Mixed  astigmatism,  58,  or  about     7  per  cent. 

Exactly  50  per  cent  were  astigmatic.     Of  these  428  eyes  there  were,  of 
.      Simple    hyperopic   astigmatism,         44,  or  about  10-1/2  per  cent. 
Compound  hyperopic  astigmatism,  287,  or  about  67  per  cent. 

.  Simple  myopic  astigmatism,  7,  or  about     1  1/2  per  cent. 

Compound  myopic  astigmatism,         32,  or  about     7  1/2  per  cent. 
Mixed  astigmatism,  58,  or  about  13  1  2  per  cent. 

In  nearly  all  cases  there  was  the  so-called  muscular  imbalance,  which 
disappeared  soon  after  the  correction  of  the  errors;  some  at  once.     Of 


2Q2  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

course,  in  addition  to  correcting  the  eyes,  rest  and  regulation  of  habits  was 
required  for  the  worst  cases.  About  80  per  cent  showed  exophoria,  (the 
other  fellow  called  it  esophoria),  and  the  rest  were  either  orthophoric  or 
exhibited  esophoria,  (the  other's  exophoria). 

Of  161  pairs  of  +  spheres  prescribed,  27  were  weaker  than  -j-  1.00;  85 
were  +  1.00  to  +  1.75 ;  35  were  -|-  2.00  to  +  2.75 ;  8  were  +  3.00  to  -f  4.00; 
6  were  +  4.00  to  +  11.00.     Of  these  161  persons,  25  were  anisometropes. 

In  18  pairs  of  —  spheres  2  were  —  .50;  1  — ■  2.50;  2  —  3-5o;  1  —  4.00; 
2  —  5.00 ;  and  10  were  anisometropes. 

In  37  cases  of  oblique  hyperopic  astigmatism  25  required  +  compounds 
for  both  eyes;  11  required  1  +  compound  and  1  sphere;  and  1  took  1  -f- 
compound  and  1  cylinder.  Of  those  needing  a  sphere  for  one  eye,  6  were 
on  the  left,  and  5  on  the  right. 

In  8  cases  of  oblique  myopic  astigmatism  4  required  —  compound  for 
both  eyes ;  3  took  —  compound  and  —  sphere ;  1  took  —  compound  and  ■ — 
cylinder. 

There  were  4  cases  of  simple  hyperopic  astigmatism  with  oblique  axes. 

In  19  cases  of  mixed  astigmatism  with  oblique  axes  11  required  com- 
pound for  both  eyes ;  4  took  1  compound  and  1  -f-  sphere ;  4  took  1  com- 
pound and  1  +  cylinder. 

In  133  cases  of  compound  hyperopia  axes  90  or  180,  92  required  com- 
pound for  both  eyes ;  34  took  1  compound  and  +  sphere ;  7  took  1  compound 
and  1  cylinder.  Of  those  requiring  spheres  for  one  eye  18  needed  it  on  the 
left  and  16  on  the  right. 

In  14  cases  of  compound  myopia  axes  90  or  180,  6  required  compounds 
for  both  eyes ;  6  used  a  —  sphere  in  one  eye ;  2  used  +  sphere  in  one  eye. 

In  12  cases  of  simple  hyperopic  astigmatism  9  required  cylinders  for 
both  eyes ;  3  took  +  spheres  in  one  eye. 

In  18  cases  of  mixed  astigmatism  axes  90  or  180,  10  required  com- 
pounds for  both  eyes ;  5  took  1  compound  and  1  +  sphere ;  2  took  1  com- 
pound and  1  -f  cylinder;  1  took  1  compound  and  1  —  cylinder. 

Of  the  428  cases,  20  were  boys  under  sixteen  years ;  82  were  girls  under 
twenty;  155  were  women;  171  were  men. 


QUADRALITY  OF  A  TRUE  WOMAN. 
She  must  be   attractive   enough   so   she  will  maintain   her   equality  with 

others,  and  know  it.     She  will  not  then  be  jealous. 
She  must  be  discreet  and  avoid  gossip,  particularly  that  of  traducing  her 

own  sex. 
She  must  know  how  to  live  within  her  income  whatever  that  may  be. 
She  should  know  how  to  cook  and  do  housework.    No  general  is  competent 

to  command  until  she  knows  how  to  do  things  herself. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


293 


DUALITIES  OF  HUMAN  ILLS. 

Mental — Real  and  imaginary. 

Real — Insanity  and  idiosyncrasies. 

Insanity — Violent  and  melancholy. 

Idiosyncrasies — Harmless  vagaries  and  dangerous  tendencies. 
Imaginary — Original  and  grafted. 

Original — Demonstrative  and  secretive. 

Grafted — Pride  and  fear. 
Physical — Congenital  and  Acquired. 

Congenital — Nerve  deficiency  and  organic  deformity. 

Nerve  deficiency — Parental  ignorance  and  misfortune. 

Organic  deformity — Eyes  and  other  functions. 
Acquired — Malnutrition  and  habits. 

Malnutrition — Lack  of  quality  and  improper  quantity. 

Habits — Neglect  and  excesses. 


CAUSES  OF  HUMAN  ILLS. 


2 

3 

4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
10 


Congenital — Conditions  previous  to  birth. 

Infection — May  occur  at  birth  or  after. 

Malnutrition — Lack  of  proper  food. 

Physical  Shock — Accidents,  etc. 

Mental  Shock — Fright,  grief,  etc. 

Physiological  strain— ^Hyperopia,  overeating,  etc. 

Mental  Strain — Worry,  study,  etc. 

Habits — Excesses,  etc. 

Occupation — Hazardous,  etc. 

Atmospherical  Influences — General  climatic  or  sudden  changes. 


294  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


NERVOUS  DUALITIES. 
STRUCTURAL— 

Cerebrum  and  Cerebellum. 

Pons  Varolii  and  Medulla  Oblongata. 

Cerebro-Spinal  and  Sympathetic. 

White,  fibrous  matter  and  Gray,  vesicular  matter. 

Ganglia,  or  centers  and  Plexuses,  peripheral  network. 

Dura  Mater  and  Pia  Mater. 

Lobes  and  Fissures. 

Ventricles  and  Commissures. 

Convolutions  and  Peduncles. 

Nerve  Substance  and  Nerve  Force. 

FUNCTIONAI^- 

* 

Mental  and  Physical. 
Sensation  and  Motion. 
Chemical  and  Mechanical. 
Voluntary  and  Involuntary. 
Afference  and  Efference. 
Heat  and  Special  Sense. 
Organic  Motion  and  Locomotion. 
Cranial  and  Spinal. 
Intrinsic  and  Extrinsic. 
Supply  and  Demand. 

PATHOLOGICAL— 

Shock  and  Strain. 
Irritation  and  Exhaustion. 
Spasm  and  Collapse. 
Paralysis  and  Atrophy. 
THERAPEUTICAL— 
Rest  and  Nourishment. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION.  2QS 

CONSTANTS  AND  INCONSTANTS 
A  Few  Hints  for  Students  Who  Want  to  Get  to  the  Bottom  of  Things  the 

Easiest  Way. 

Topical  study  is  the  best  because  it  yields  the  surest  returns.  If  every- 
one will  seek  the  simplest  forms  of  everything,  comprehension  will  be  easier 
and  study  will  be  made  more  attractive.  In  the  following  paragraphs, 
which  refer  to  matters  contained  in  this  book,  constants  are  named  first  be- 
cause they  belong  to  the  positive  class,  while  the  inconstants  which  follow 
constitute  the  negative  class: 

Thought  and  expression. 

Laws  and  rules. 

Language  and  ability  to  use  it. 

Knowledge  and  belief.   • 

Physics  and  metaphysics. 

Truth  and  falsehood. 

Reason  and  prejudice. 

Analysis  and  diagnosis. 

Anatomy  and  physiology. 

Nerves  and  nerve-force. 

Indices  of  refraction  and  angles  of  incidence. 

Plane  and  curved  surfaces. 

Parallelism  and  divergence  or  convergence. 

Verticals  and  perpendiculars. 

Horizontals  and  obliques. 

Refraction  by  lenses  and  amount  thereof. 

Reflection  from  lenses  and  amount  thereof. 

Principal  foci  and  conjugate  foci. 

Centers  and  circumferences. 

Axes  of  cylinders  and  their  positions. 

Static  and  dynamic  refraction  of  eyes. 

Far  and  near  points  of  eyes. 

Errors  of  refraction  and  corrections  often  given. 

Principal  and  secondary  meridians  of  compound  or  cylinder  lenses. 

Food  and  nutrition. 

Capacity  of  lungs  and  volume  of  air  breathed. 

Capacity  of  heart  and  quantity  of  blood. 

Capacity  of  stomach  and  manner  of  utilizing. 

Capacity  of  doctor  and  confidence  of  patients. 


Air  is  composed  of  79.19  parts  nitrogen  to  20.81  parts  oxygen.  Learn 
how  to  breathe;  take  in  plenty  of  it  and  throw  out  the  carbonic  acid  gas. 
You  will  never  die  from  consumption. 

Opportunity  never  tarries  long  with  him  who  says  "I  can't." 


296 


NEUROLOGf    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


REASON  AND  "TAINTED"  MONEY. 

There's  a  Great  Day  Coming  When  Grafters  Will  Cease  to  Graft. 

"Resolved,  That  the  officers  of  this  society  should  neither  solicit  nor 
invite  donations  to  its  funds  from  persons  whose  gains  are  generally  be- 
lieved to  have  been  made  by  methods  morally  reprehensible  and  socially  in- 
jurious." 

This  resolution  was  offered  by  Rev.  Washington  Gladden  at  a  meeting 
of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  in  Seattle,  Wash.,  during  Sep- 
tember, 1905,  and  it  was  killed  by  a  vote  of  46  to  10.  In  support  of  the 
resolution  Dr.  Gladden  declared: 

"If  money  cannot  be  tainted,  then  it  cannot  be  sanctified.  I  hope  we 
are  not  yet  ready  to  say  that  there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  consecrated 
money." 

Now,  therefore,  that  the  board,  by  its  action,  has  declared  there  is  no 
such  a  thing  as  "tainted"  money  Dr.  Gladden  is  honor  bound  to  come  out 
with  a  counter-declaration  that  "consecrated"  money  is  also  moonshine. 

Reason  tells  us  that  whenever  a  church  work  is  conducted  as  a  busi- 
ness it  must  have  its  share  of  the  coin  of  the  realm.  Experience  has  taught 
that  "beggars  cannot  be  choosers,"  therefore  the  board  did  a  wise  thing 
in  voting  down  a  resolution  which  might  have  hampered  it  in  its  chase  of 
the  millionaires. 

Dr.  Gladden  said:  "The  gifts  of  the  Congregational  churches  to  mis- 
sions are  less  now  than  they  were  ten  years  ago,  although  their  numbers 
have  increased  considerably  and  their  wealth  has  probably  doubled."  Rea- 
son tells  us  that  this  is  because  the  members  are  growing  wiser  and  learn- 
ing that  money  does  not  draw  interest  in  heaven.  In  other  words,  they  are 
getting  onto  the  graft.  Barring  accident  I  expect  to  live  to  see  the  day 
when  people  will  live  about  right  from  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
fact  that  they  pay  the  penalties  for  violations  of  Nature's  laws  right  here, 
instead  of  hereafter,  and  when  that  time  comes  fanatics  will  be  out  of  a  job. 


THE  INHERENT  RIGHT  TO  THINK 

A  Bitter  Conflict  Coming  Between   Reason  and  Superstition. 

The  old  schools  of  alleged  medicine  have  no  greater  fight  to  main- 
tain their  positions  than  have  the  old  schools  of  alleged  thought.  As 
the  first  named  works  under  a  cloak  of  pretended  benevolence,  so  the 
latter  acts  on  the  pretense  of  inspiration  from  a  source  not  accessible 
to  mortals  whose  keepers  they  assume  to  be.  Both  will  fail  as  surely 
as  there  is  an  infinite  power  that  plays  no  favorites,  and  here  is  the 
manner  in  which  their  failure  will  eventuate. 

One  class,  headed  by  such  Christians  as  the  Standard  Oil  king  and 
eminent  executives  who  have  referred  to  Thomas  Paine  as  "a  nasty  little 
atheist,"  just  now  dominates  thought,  insolently  assuming  that  all  who 


MISCELLANEOUS   PORTION,  2Q7 

differ  from  them  on  the  money  question  are  dishonest  and  all  who  judge 
the  prevailing  alleged  moral  code  by  its  fruits  are  fit  only  for  dungeons. 
This  class  is  just  now  using  all  the  machinery  of  the  government  to  sup- 
press free  thought,  free  speech  and  free  press. 

Another  class,  so  numerous  that  it  can,  if  it  will,  before  its  franchise  is 
taken  from  it,  reverse  the  present  order  and  abolish  the  inquisitorial  system 
by  throwing  its  entire  vote,  national,  state,  county  and  municipal,  to  which- 
ever of  the  great  parties  will  insert  a  free  thought,  etc.,  plank  in  its  plat- 
form and  nominate  candidates  for  office  who  will  pledge  themselves  un- 
qualifiedly to  the  proposition.  It  is  of  no  use  to  form  independent  parties. 
The  socialists  and  all  small  parties  are  headed  by  dangerous  cranks.  But 
let  us,  who  regard  the  right  to  think  a  more  important  item  of  political 
economy  than  money,  unite  in  a  pledge  to  defeat  any  party,  which,  being 
in  power,  grants  special  privileges  to  its  own  votaries  and  denies  other  citi- 
zens their  constitutional  rights. 

These  alleged  Christians,  who  interpret  their  "Master's"  teachings  to 
suit  their  own  pleasure,  are  the  rankest  hypocrites  the  world  has  ever 
known.  Their  tactics  are  those  of  the  coward,  the  bulldozer,  the  assassin, 
the  libertine,  the  harlot,  the  gossip. 

I  call  upon  the  thinking  voter,  the  man  of  reasoning  powers,  un- 
hampered by  fear  of  anything,  and  supported  by  love  of  liberty  to  himself 
and  his  fellow  men,  to  give  this  matter  his  immediate  attention,  and  re- 
member it  is  the  duality  words  and  works  that  will  win.  Let  the  narrow- 
minded,  superstitious  scoundrels  know  they  will  lose  their  official  positions 
if  they  do  not  concede  justice  to  all  and  they  will  soon  lose  their  "convic- 
tions" rather  than  lose  their  jobs ;  all  of  which  will  prove  conclusively  their 
present  insincerity. 


It  is  a  weak  cause  that  shrinks  before  the  fire  of  criticism. 

If  you  do  not  want  to  owe  others,  do  not  let  others  owe  you. 

Freshness  is  not  smartness,  because  the  smart  are  never  fresh. 

Seek  natural  immunity  from  disease  and  other  than  artificial  cures. 

Some  people  would  rather  remain  ill  than  get  well  by  rational  means. 

The  friend  who  makes  a  joke  of  your  profession  is  worse  than  an  enemy. 

Some  things  are  too  cheap  to  be  good ;  others  are  too  good  to  ever  be- 
come cheap. 

When  one  has  had  his  appendix  removed,  how  can  he  have  "recurrent 
appendicitis"? 

The  busy  bee  finds  its  pleasure  in  work.  The  lazy  drone  finds  it  in 
eating  the  honey. 

Experience  is  often  an  expensive  teacher ;  but  teachers  sometimes  cause 
expensive  experiences. 

Trying  to  secure  an  education  by  correspondence  is  like  spending  the 
evening  with  one's  sweetheart's  picture. 


298 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS 


CLASSIFICATION     OF    CASES. 


+  Dynamic  and  -f-  Static  Symptoms.      (1). 
-f-  Cases..   ^  -f  Dynamic  and —  Static  Symptoms.     (2). 

—  Dynamic  and  +  Static  Symptoms.      (3). 

+  Dynamic  and  —  Static  Symptoms.      (4). 
-Cases.  .   /  — Dynamic  and  -\-  Static  Symptoms.      (5). 

—  Dynamic  and  —  Static  Symptoms.     (6). 

By  dynamic  tests  we  mean  any  subjective  method  which,  when  applied, 
induces  nervous  activity,  either  voluntary  or  involuntary.  The  accommo- 
dation test  is  a  voluntary  dynamic  test  of  the  nerve  supply ;  the  refraction 
test,  when  made  as  we  make  it,  without  the  use  of  cycloplegics,  is  a  dyna- 
mic test  of  the  involuntary  kind. 

By  static  tests  we  mean  what  is  known  commonly  as  the  muscle  test, 
and  the  use  of  the  neurometer.  Should  these  dispute  the  dynamic  tests,  we 
give  credence  to  them  because  they  are  involuntary. 

Symptoms  are  noted  both  objectively  and  subjectively  and  are  mental 
and  physical.  The  value  of  this  system  will  be  appreciated  when  the  stu- 
dent learns  how  to  determine  just  what  proportion  of  causes  and  effects 
are  mental  and  physiological. 

Note  the  diagram  shows  eight  divisions  or  classes  of  patients;  two 
grand  divisions  and  three  subdivisions  of  each.  For  the  details  of  this  prop- 
osition see  the  following  six  pages. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


299 


CLASSIFICATION    OF     CASES— Continued. 

Sub-Division  No.  1. 

When  derangements  of  the  nervous  system  begin  to  exhibit  symptoms 
the  tendency  is  nearly  always  upward  from  the  normal  standard.  We  do 
not  see  a  great  many  of  this  class  because  the  public  is  a  careless  body 
and  puts  off  consulting  the  doctor  until  the  situation  becomes  serious 
enough  to  set  up  pain  or  fever,  hence  these  two  symptoms  are  regarded 
by  the  Neurologist  as  Nature's  duality  of  automatic  alarms,  and  the  doctor 
who  gives  drugs  to  suppress  either  exhibit  is  proceeding  in  a  manner  con- 
ducive to  greater  troubles. 

Tonic  spasm  of  the  nervous  system  may  make  its  appearance  in  the 
eyes,  causing  intense  pains;  in  the  sphincter-ani,  producing  constipation, 
indigestion,  piles,  etc. ;  in  the  sphincter-uteri,  making  menstruation  difficult 
and  painful ;  in  the  neck  of  the  bladder,  interfering  with  complete  emptying 
of  that  organ  and  necessitating  frequent  trials  both  day  and  night,  reflexing 
on  the  kidneys  and  producing  chemical  reactions  that  give  the  impression 
of  serious  renal  disorders.  Such  a  general  physiological  disturbance  natur- 
ally affects  the  mentality  and  the  victim  becomes  irritable,  which  may  ex- 
hibit in  fright  or  temper. 

We  apply  our  systematic  methods  of  analysis  and  find  exactly  the 
value  of  each  symptom,  objective  and  subjective,  make  our  calculations 
deliberately,  then  take  the  diagram  and  show  the  patient  the  situation  so 
comprehensively  that  we  inspire  confidence,  which  is  one  of  the  essentials  to 
securing  obedience  to  our  instructions.  If  any  are  so  dull  or  so  unreason- 
able that  they  ask  us  to  undertake  a  case  without  the  patient's  hearty  co- 
operation we  refuse.  But  with  this  class  we  do  not  need  to  be  so  strict  as 
we  must  with  those  who  exhibit  a  preponderance  of  negative  symptoms. 


3°° 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


CLASSIFICATION     OF     CASES— Continued. 

Sub-Division  No.  2. 

This  class  has,  naturally,  many  of  the  symptoms  exhibited  by  No.  1, 
but  the  static  tests  will  disclose  evidence  of  progress  by  exposing  weak- 
ness, such  as  the  —  impulse  in  the  ocular  nerves,  occasional  nausea  while  at 
work,  skin  devoid  of  moisture,  and  historic  indications  which  have  more  or 
less  weight  in  the  final  calculations.  The  -|-  symptoms  may  include  a  strong 
accommodation,  tonic  or  clonic  spasm  during  the  refraction  test,  indiges- 
tion, dysmenorrhoea,  bladder  trouble,  insomnia,  abnormal  appetite,  to- 
gether with  the  mental  symptoms  of  the  first  class. 

In  arriving  at  final  conclusions  about  this  class  we  make  certain  deduc- 
tions from  the  age  figures  in  the  neurometer  so  that  we  may  prove  the  ac- 
curacy of  our  valuation  of  the  several  symptoms  by  telling  the  age  approxi- 
mately. 

This  class,  belonging  to  the  second  sub-division  of  the  first  general  di- 
vision, presents  to  the  uninitiated  a  fairly  good  appearance,  our  dynamic 
tests  show  all  +  and  we  only  find  —  symptoms  with  our  static  methods; 
hence  it  is  easy  to  locate  its  subdivision  after  a  little  experience.  My  pupils 
get  the  experience  while  with  me,  so  they  have  no  difficulty  when  they  go 
out  into  the  field  of  practice.  Indeed  the  only  complaints  I  have  ever  re- 
ceived from  them  have  been  that  it  is  hard  to  persuade  their  patients  to 
follow  instructions  as  they  should  to  insure  success.  I  have  a  letter  from 
one  of  my  boys  who  gave  written  guarantees  to  over  2,000  cases  the  first 
two  years  of  his  practice,  in  which  he  writes :  "I  have  just  received  reports 
from  them  in  reply  to  a  personal  letter  from  me  asking  for  the  favor.  All 
are  sound  as  they  ought  to  be.  In  all  this  large  number  I  only  refunded 
their  money  to  five,  and  they  did  not  follow  instructions  even  approxi- 
mately. I  practiced  medicine  several  years — long  enough  to  become  dis- 
gusted with  it — before  I  came  to  you.  I  also  investigated,  studied  and  prac- 
ticed osteopathy  and  other  methods,  hence  I  feel  qualified  to  speak;  there- 
fore I  want  to  say  that  your  methods  of  analysis  and  treatment  are  un- 
equaled." 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


30I 


CLASSIFICATION     OF     CASES— Continued. 

Sub-Division  No.  3. 

This  class  is  hovering  near  the  dividing-line  between  the  -f-  and  — 
grand  divisions.  It  is  a  trifle  difficult  for  the  beginner  to  differentiate  be- 
tween this  and  the  next  lower  grade,  because  the  symptoms  are  so  nearly 
alike,  but  with  the  assistance  of  this  page  and  the  consciousness  that  if 
there  is  any  doubt  and  the  patient  be  treated  as  if  it  belonged  to  sub-divi- 
sion No.  4,  the  operator  is  working  inside  the  safety  line  anyhow. 

The  same  general  symptoms  of  classes  Nos.  1  and  2  will  be  present 
still,  of  course;  the  dynamic  tests  show  weakness,  but  the  static  tests  dis- 
pute the  story,  so  we  know  the  case  belongs  in  the  general  -|-  class  and 
we  will  find  other  evidence  of  that  fact  when  the  final  calculation  is  made. 

The  most  delicate  test  that  could  be  imagined  is  that  by  which  we  es- 
tablish the  safety-lines  for  each  class  of  patients.  It  will  be  seen  by  refer- 
ence to  the  neurometer,  pages  82  to  91,  that  the  age  indicated  by  table  one 
is  the  normal  standard;  the  explanation  accompanying  shows  that  there 
are  so  few  who  are  normal  that  a  second  standard  is  necessary  to  judge 
abnormal  cases  accurately,  hence  table  two;  from  it  we  learn  how  much 
to  add  to  the  age  for  the  defects  in  the  gauges ;  then  supplementary  tables 
show  how  much  and  when  to  deduct  for  general  and  individual  symptoms. 
The  age  indicated  by  the  second  table  is  the  physical  standard  of  average 
hyperopes  in  good  health,  and  any  who  approximate  it  belong  in  the  gen- 
eral -j-  class,  but  we  must  take  into  consideration  the  mentality,  the  extra 
hours'  work  and  the  effects  thereof.  For  example:  A  hyperope  of  1.00  D. 
is  also  working  three  hours  a  day  over  the  three  allowed  for  in  the  neurom- 
eter; this  means  an  extra  demand  on  the  nerve  supply  equal  to  .50  D.  hy- 
peropia, so  we  figure  it  in  connection  with  the  refractive  error,  making  a 
basis  of  1.50  hyperopia,  for  which  table  two  says  add  seven  years,  six 
months  to  the  showing  by  table  one.  Therefore  this  individual's  standard 
would  be  two  and  one-half  years  below  the  average.  If  the  age  is  actually 
below  the  figures  thus  evolved  the  patient  is  below  his  or  her  own  standard 
and  it  is  a  -*■  symptom.  If  the  actual  age  is  more  than  half  way  down  to  the 
showing  by  table  one  that  patient  is  below  the  safety-line.  Or,  if  one  be 
not  working  extra  hours,  but  is  both  intelligent  and  educated,  particularly 
practical,  we  charge  to  the  age  account,  by  tables  one  and  two,  from  five  to 
ten  years,  owing  to  the  relative  intensity  of  the  mentality,  and  thus  get  the 
standard  for  that  person. 


302 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


CLASSIFICATION    OF     CASES- Continued. 

Sub-Division  No.  4. 

This  class  presents  a  general  appearance  somewhat  similar  to  the  last 
described,  but  to  us  there  is  a  decidedly  haggard  expression,  dark  crescents 
under  the  eyes,  face  is  rough  and  scaly,  history  of  long-continued  functional 
derangements.  The  dynamic  tests  show  +  but  the  static  tests  corroborate 
the  history.  This  suggests  that  the  patient  has  a  strong  mentality  and  will 
be  able  to  take  advantage  of  every  little  physical  improvement  we  can  pro- 
duce; but  if  the  person  is  uneducated  the  mentality  may  be  able  to  grasp 
only  enough  of  the  explanation  to  become  suspicious  and  contrary,  hence 
the  necessity  of  a  hard-and-fast  rule,  in  all  cases,  that  they  bind  themselves 
to  follow  our  instructions  for  three  or  four  months,  if  we  find  it  necessary, 
and  put  up  the  full  fee  in  advance  to  protect  us  from  injury  to  our  reputa- 
tion by  their  neglect. 

This  class  of  cases  always  presents  analytical  symptoms,  particularly 
by  the  static  tests,  which  make  necessary  deductions  from  the  amount  to  be 
added  according  to  table  two,  of  the  neurometer,  which  deductions,  in 
themselves,  are  evidence  the  patient  is  below  the  individual  standard;  if, 
when  we  have  made  these  deductions,  the  age  is  still  lower,  we  have  not 
placed  as  serious  a  value  on  the  symptoms  as  they  merit.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  when  our  diagnoses  are  wrong  the  analyses  will  correct  them  just 
as  the  law  analyzing  compound  prescriptions  for  glasses  will  prove  them 
if  they  are  correct  and  catch  the  errors  if  they  are  wrong. 

All  of  our  work  is  based  on  physical  laws,  and  many  of  them  will  be 
found  as  accurate  physiologically  as  they  are  physically,  if  the  student  will 
apply  the  study  required  to  master  their  principles.  Others  will  be  such 
guides  that  they  will  come  to  be  regarded  invaluable. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


303 


CLASSIFICATION    OF    CASES- Continued. 

Sub-Division  No.  5. 

This  class  is  one  in  which  the  patient  is  usually  alarmed,  with  suffi- 
cient cause,  too.  The  matter  has  been  neglected  so  long  that  the  daily 
work,  which  is  all  dynamic,  constantly  causes  distressing  symptoms  to  pre- 
sent themselves.  If  the  patient  only  knew  it  these  manifestations  are  Na- 
ture calling  on  the  custodian  of  that  particular  tenement  to  look  after  the 
matter  of  repairs..  The  history  is  bad,  the  dynamic  tests  show  weakness, 
but  the  static  test  shows  zero  and  the  neurometer  shows  the  age  exactly; 
if  the  history  is  one  of  dysmenorrhoea  there  will  now  be  not  only  the  pains 
but  the  menses  will  appear  too  often  and  there  will  be  flooding ;  there  may 
be  constipation  in  these  cases  from  sheer  lack  of  nerve  force  to  empty  the 
bowels ;  the  liver  will  be  torpid  and  the  brain  dull  or  erratic,  from  the  same 
direct  cause.  These  cases  are  always  below  the  safety-line,  which  is  the 
normal  standard  before  deducting  for  the  —  symptoms.  This  class,  strange 
as  it  may  appear,  is  nearly  always  from  the  ambitious,  intellectual  student 
body,  or  from  those  whose  work  is  of  such  a  nature  that  close  application  is 
necessary  and  who  are  in  such  financial  condition  that  they  "can  not  spare 
the  time  or  the  money  to  get  well."  Rather  a  reflection  on  the  intelligence, 
is  it  not? 

In  summing  up  these  cases  we  find,  say  a  defect  of  1.00  D.  in  the  eyes, 
for  which  we  would  add  ten  years  to  the  neurometer  figures,  and  ten  more 
for  the  mentality.  But  we  find,  also,  a  habitual  overloading  of  the  stomach 
and  wrong  elements  in  the  food,  habits  which  add  to  the  general  strain 
when  the  system  should  be  at  rest;  we  find  the  tests  require  us  to  make 
great  deductions  from  the  showing  by  the  tables,  but  they  do  not  bring 
the  total  down  below  the  amount  added  for  the  mentality,  hence  we  know 
the  chief  cause  is  in  the  mental  department  and  is  simply  neglect,  willful 
or  ignorant,  of  the  laws  of  Nature,  which  cause  is  assisted  by  the  physiolog- 
ical defects  we  find  and  correct. 


*0a  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


CLASSIFICATION     OF     CASES  -Continued. 

Sub-Division  No.  6. 

This  class  adds  to  the  last  described  actual  collapse;  some  manage  to 
get  to  the  doctor's  office  but  are  unable  to  stand  an  examination  without 
nausea  or  faintness.  They  may  be  either  hysterical  or  melancholy.  The 
latter  are  the  most  difficult  to  handle  because  they  become  either  stubborn 
or  irresponsible,  and  we  prefer  to  treat  only  those  who  are  able  to  do  the 
real  treatment  themselves.  Those  who  are  so  far  beyond  the  limit-angle 
that  they  are  mentally  or  physically  helpless  are  not  in  our  classes.  Of 
course  we  can  do  as  much  for  such  cases  as  any  "pathy"  practitioner,  but 
we  would  have  to  guess  at  them  just  as  the  others  do. 

The  tests,  dynamic  and  static,  will  be  bad;  the  history  bad;  the  ap- 
pearance bad ;  and  when  the  account  is  cast  up  according  to  the  neurometer 
the  patient  will  be  found  to  be  not  only  below  the  safety-line  as  indicated 
by  the  deductions  being  so  great  as  to  wipe  out  the  additions  for  the  men- 
tality, but  to  reduce  the  remainder  to  a  point  more  than  half  way  from  the 
hyperopic  standard  to  the  emmetropic  standard.  For  an  example  take  a 
person  with  i.oo  D.  hyperopia  who  shows  7.00  D.  accommodation  with  the 
correction  on :  the  neurometer,  table  one,  shows  age  thirty,  to  which  would 
be  added,  normally,  ten  years  for  the  hyperopia,  making  forty;  then  we 
would  add  some  more  for  the  mentality  but  for  the  abundance  of  negative 
symptoms  and  almost  entire  absence  of  positive  indications  in  the  general 
history;  next,  the  deductions  made  necessary  by  the  evidence  secured  by 
the  tests,  reduces  the  age  figures  to  a  point  below  thirty-five,  and  we  pro- 
nounce the  case  below  the  danger-line  if  our  calculation  proves  correct.  If 
patient  is  really  above  thirty-five  but  is  under  forty  our  analysis  shows  a 
better  situation  than  we  diagnosed  and  we  are  correspondingly  happy; 
however  the  case  is  below  the  safety-line  and  we  insist  upon  rigid  adher- 
ence to  instructions.  If  any  case,  with  all  the  symptoms  and  appearances 
of  this  class  declares  an  age  which  puts  it  above  the  safety-line  we  suspect 
something  wrong,  either  with  our  measurements  or  with  the  patient;  it  is 
often  the  latter,  is  usually  a  woman  who  is  convinced  she  is  going  to  die,  go 
crazy,  or  some  other  equally  absurd  proposition.  We  satisfy  ourselves  of 
the  situation  by  repeated  examinations  and  when  convinced  of  the  facts,  if 
they  be  mental,  as  described,  read  the  riot  act  in  no  uncertain  manner. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


305 


THE  UNVALUE   OF  ENCYCLOPAEDIAS. 

The  Story  of  "Hystero-Epilepsy"  as  told  by  William  Pepper  in  one  of  the 

Popular  Editions. 

Of  all  the   hero-worshipers   in   the  history  of  the  world  none   have 

equaled  the  medical  profession.    The  leaders  of  today  pay  exclusive  honors 

to  the  dead  lest  they  give  a  colleague  a  slight  advantage  over  themselves ;  or 

else  it  is  vanity  expressed  in  seeking  to  connect  themselves  with  those 

whom  they  conceive  great.     The  following  account  of  "hystero-epilepsy," 

written  by  the  late  William  Pepper  for  Johnson's  Encyclopaedia  is  a  fair 

sample  of  the  nonsense  called  fact  by  alleged  authorities: 

"Hystero-epilepsy.  A  form  of  hysteria  in  which  the  manifestations  are 
of  a  convulsive  nature  and  therefore  resemble  the  attacks  of  epilepsy.  The 
causes  and  nature  of  this  diseased  state  are  in  no  wise  different  from  those 
present  in  other  forms  of  hysteria ;  and  the  fact  that  such  violent  seizures 
take  place  can  only  be  explained  by  assuming  that  the  motor  cells  of  the 
brain  are  in  a  highly  charged  or  excitable  condition  and  easily  disturbed, 
whereas  in  other  individuals  such  a  state  does  not  maintain.  It  is  to 
Prof.  Charcot,  of  Paris,  that  the  world  owes  the  accurate  description  of 
this  disease,  and,  what  is  of  greatest  importance,  the  ability  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  serious  and  generally  incurable  disease  which  it  simulates — viz., 
true  epilepsy/' 

The  trouble  with  these  fellows  is  they  are  always  reminding  the  world 
of  the  debt  it  owes  the  mountebanks.  They  forget  they  owe  the  world 
something  for  being  allowed  to  live  in  it.  I  have  been  able  to  prove  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  epilepsy,  in  the  sense  it  is  described  above ;  that 
the  "simulated"  epilepsy,  mentioned  as  a  form  of  hysteria,  is  due  to  sup- 
pressed menstruation  in  girls  and  that  the  primary  cause  is  always  hypero- 
pia; while  in  boys  it  is  from  hyperopia  and  overeating.  But  the  world 
owes  me  nothing  in  particular  that  I  can  see.  I  will  give  the  rest  of  Dr. 
Pepper's  article  to  show  what  a  fool  a  man  can  make  of  himself  when  he 
gives  way  to  "hysteria."  * 

"Like  the  latter,  hystero-epilepsy  is  a  paroxysmal  disease,  the  seizures 
occurring  with  greater  or  less  frequency,  according  to  the  mental  and  phy- 
sical condition  of  the  patient  and  according  to  the  environments. 

"Very  generally  the  patient  has  a  premonition,  taking  the  form  of 
a  peculiar  sensation  in  the  abdomen  or. elsewhere,  and  this  is  usually  suf- 
ficiently in  advance  of  the  paroxysm  that  the  patient  may  place  herself  in 
a  safe  position.  In  falling  the  subject  of  hystero-epilepsy  is  rarely  injured, 
as  so  frequently  occurs  in  true  epilepsy.  There  may  be  at  the  moment  of 
seizure  a  sharp,  piercing  cry,  an  hysterical  cry,  after  which  the  patient 
becomes  convulsed.  At  first  the  limbs  are  rigidly  contracted,  but  this 
soon  gives  place  to  irregular  contractions"  (it  surprises  me  that  they 
would  have  anything  to  do  with  diseases  manifesting  'irregular'  symp- 
toms), "with  frothing  at  the  mouth  and  apparently  or  really  loss  of  con- 
sciousness. A  peculiar  feature  of  the  whole  attack  is  its  dramatic  quality. 
Charcot  particularly  called  attention  to  the  position  assumed  by  many — 
that  of  a  cross,  both  arms  being  extended  outward,  the  body  and  legs  be- 
ing rigid  and  straight.     The  contractions  and  the  tossing  of  the  body  dur- 


306 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


ing  the  latter  part  of  the  attack  may  be  violent,  but  it  is  noticeable  that 
the  patient  rarely  is  injured.  Consciousness  is  apparently  lost,  but  very 
often  a  threat  will  instantly  break  up  the  attack,  showing  that  in  reality  the 
patient  remains  conscious  throughout.  In  other  individuals  there  is  genu- 
ine unconsciousness. 

"During  the  attack,  especially  in  the  last  part  of  it,  the  patient  be- 
comes talkative  or  noisy.  Often  she  sings  or  declaims  and  generally  the 
words  are  accompanied  by  gestures,  and  indeed  this  apparently  purposive 
action,  or  as  was  said  before,  this  dramatic  element,  is  generally  noted 
throughout  the  attack.  After  various  lengths  of  time  the  patient  recovers 
and  may  fall  into  a  quiet  sleep,  or  may  be  tranquil  and  awake.  In  some 
instances  temporary  palsy  of  a  limb  or  of  one  side  of  the  body  may  follow, 
or,  indeed,  this  may  persist  for  years.  Contractures  of  the  muscles  of  the 
hand  or  foot  and  alterations  of  sensation  are  also  frequent  sequels  and  are 
distinguished  by  their  general  hysterical  features. 

"The  work  of  Charcot  which  lead  to  the  accurate  distinction  of  hys- 
tero-epilepsy  from  true  epilepsy  is  one  of  the  great  achievements  of  this 
distinguished  teacher.  Hystero-epilepsy  is  eminently  benign  and  manage- 
able in  comparison  with  genuine  epilepsy,  and  its  treatment  is  essentially 
different.  The  principal  points  of  distinction  are  these :  the  disease  occurs 
more  frequently  in  girls  and  especially  those  of  a  distinctly  hysterical  na- 
ture; the  attacks  are  usually  ushered  in  with  a  cry;  is  not  often  attended 
by  danger  of  injury;  is  noisy,  dramatic  and  not  accompanied  by  the  ex- 
treme unconsciousness  of  true  epilepsy;  urine  is  not  voided  during  the 
seizure.  Sometimes  a  dash  of  cold  water,  or  pressure  on  the  superorbital 
nerve  will  instantly  terminate  the  paroxysm ;  and  by  suggestion  other  parts 
of  the  body  may  be  made  to  assume  the  same  role. 

"The  treatment  must  be  conducted  as  in  hysteria  of  other  types  by 
moral  training,  physical  development  and  by  control.  Magnets  and  plates 
of  metal  have  been  found  to  stop  the  seizures  when  applied  to  the  parts 
involved  in  the  attacks.  Manifestly  suggestion  is  the  important  factor  in 
this  treatment.  Harsh  measures  may  succeed  in  breaking  up  the  par- 
oxysms, but  will  probably  substitute  some  less  apparent  form  of  hysteria, 
and  rarely  accomplish  anything  but  harm." 

The  foregoing  may  be  taken  seriously  by  the  doctor  trained  to  rever- 
ence the  self-styled  leaders  of  the  profession  but  it  will  only  tickle  the 
funny-bones  of  my  pupils,  who  have  been  urged  to  think  for  themselves 
and  to  analyze  all  statements,  no  matter  whence  they  may  come.  If  I  had 
written  the  manuscript  for  this  book  in  the  same  long-drawn-out  style  Dr. 
Pepper  used  in  telling  that  incoherent  story  it  would  comprise  ten  thou- 
sand pages,  and  would,  probably,  have  been  as  incoherent;  however,  I 
would  not  have  split  my  infinitives  so  badly,  I  am  sure.  As  to  Charcot,  he 
may  have  described  the  finicky  conduct  of  some  French  woman,  but 
when  he  undertook  to  separate  the  manifestations  of  what  he  pleased  to 
call  "hystero-epilepsy"  and  "true  epilepsey"  he  made  himself  ridiculous. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  pure  and  simple,  there  can  be  no  accurate  description 
of  the  symptoms  of  the  same  causes  in  different  people,  differently  consti- 
tuted to  begin  with,  and  whoever  undertakes  it  is  not  wise.  Of  course  there 
are  some  general  indications,  such  as  irritation  or  exhaustion  of  the  nerve 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


307 


supply,  but  persons  congenitally  weak,  or  those  lacking  in  nutrition,  or 
those  with  greater  demands  on  the  supply  than  others  will  exhibit  more 
acute  symptoms  than  those  with  even  more  serious  causes.  We  neurolo- 
gists pay  little  attention  to  single  symptoms,  because  they  are  only  diag- 
nostic, but  when  we  have  made  our  analyses  we  know  absolutely  the  value 
of  each  and  of  them  all  as  a  unit. 


SOME  BLOODY  HISTORY. 

How  Alleged  Christianity  and  Medicine  Have  Flourished  at  the  Expense 

of  General  Public  Welfare. 

While  Jesus  Christ  is  reported  to  have  said  he  carne  not  to  bring 
peace  but  a  sword,  etc.,  his  example  was  so  at  variance  with  the  story  I 
do  not  believe  it.  It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  the  sword  is  still  with  us, 
and  metaphorically,  at  least,  dangles  over  the  heads  of  us  who  dare  to  think 
and  express  ourselves  with  reference  to  the  pretenses  and  practices  of  the 
hypocrites  who  set  themselves  up  as  the  conservators  of  the  human  race, 
in  the  name  of  God  and  Christ. 

Six  hundred  years  before  Christ,  Pythagoras,  a  Greek  philosopher,  was 
born.  His  fame  rests  chiefly  upon  the  fact  that  he  was  the  first  to  teach 
that  mathematics  is  the  first  law  of  Nature,  embodying  the  principles  of 
all  things,  and  that  the  organization  of  the  universe  is  a  perfect  system  of 
numerical  ratios.  His  chief  duality  was  deliberate  thought  and  fearless  ex- 
pression. But  his  ideas  and  words  threatened  the  supremacy  of  those  who 
ruled  through  superstitions  and  fears  and  promises  of  rewards  hereafter^ 
and  it  was  made  necessary  for  him  to  go  into  retirement  to  escape  vio- 
lence, and  he  died  soon  after.  He  was  the  author  of  the  word  "philoso- 
phy," which  means  "the  love  of  wisdom." 

About  the  same  time  there  lived,  in  another  part  of  the  world,  a  phil- 
osopher named  Confucius,  who  sought,  by  his  example,  to  accomplish  what 
two  other  philosophers,  Yao  and  Shun  had  about  eighteen  hundred  years 
before  that  time,  viz.,  blotted  evil,  poverty  and  ignorance  from  the  Chinese 
empire  by  the  virtues  of  their  own  conduct.  Later,  when  the  throne  fell 
into  the  control  of  another  class,  the  people  became  inoculated  with  differ- 
ent ideas  and  drifted  back  to  the  old  conditions  which  Confucius  found  and 
endeavored  to  overcome.  When  about  fifty  years  old  he  was  appointed 
magistrate  of  the  town  of  Chung-tu  when  he  at  once  put  his  ideas  into 
practice  with  such  good  results  that  he  was  promoted  from  time  to  time, 
each  step  widening  his  opportunities  and  the  beneficent  results.  But  his 
opponents,  who  thrived  best  under  old  conditions,  fought  him  upon  every 
pretext  without  avail  until  they  seized  upon  his  remark  "respect  the  gods, 
but  have  as  little  to  do  with  them  as  possible"  and  succeeded  in  arousing 
a  sentiment  against  him  as  a  heretic  that  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  re- 
tain his  office  with  dignity,  so  he  resigned  and  passed  the  remainder  of 


3o8 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


his  life  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  and  in  dispensing  information  to  those 
who  sought  it.  He  worked  by  the  duality  system;  his  five  cardinal  virtues 
being  expressed  as  the  duties  of  ruler  and  subject,  parent  and  child,  hus- 
band and  wife,  brother  and  brother,  friend  and  friend.  His  was  a  practical 
philosophy,  not  a  religion;  he  has  as  many  followers  today  as  Jesus  Christ 
and  much  more  faithful  ones.  Christians  call  the  Chinese  heathen,  mean- 
ing  ignorant,  barbaric,  etc.,  when  they  gave  us  mathematics  hundreds  of 
years  before  Jesus  Christ  was  born.  Christianity  is  great  in  precept  (pos- 
sibly) but  Confucianism  is  great  in  practice. 

About  four  hundred  and  seventy  years  before  Christ,  there  was  born 
in  Greece  a  philosopher,  Socrates.  He  arrayed  himself,  early  in  life,  against 
the  gnostics  and  sophists  (know-alls)  of  his  time  and  after  a  vigorous  war 
for  the  love  of  wisdom  as  against  those  who  claimed  to  possess  all  wisdom 
(just  as  the  priests  and  doctors  of  the  old  schools  do  today)  he  was  con- 
demned to  die  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  for  the  crime  of  not  worshiping 
the  gods  his  enemies  worshiped  and  for  corrupting  the  youth  by  teaching 
them  to  be  ambitious  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge.  (Yet  the  Christians 
tell  us  the  world  would  have  been  in  a  bad  fix  without  Christianity.)  Be- 
ing given  his  choice  of  means  of  execution  according  to  the  law,  he  chose 
hemlock  tea  and  died  as  fearlessly  as  he  had  lived,  proclaiming  with  his 
last  breath  his  opinion  that  there  is  something  for  each  individual  to  do  in 
another  existence.  Aristotle  credits  him  with  being  the  author  or  inventor 
of  induction  and  the  accurate  definition  of  terms. 

At  the  same  time  there  lived  a  clown,  of  the  name  Aristophanes,  who 
was  a  religious  aristocrat,  opposed  to  democracy,  progress,  freedom  of 
thought  and  expression.  He  was  one  of  the  chief  persecutors  of  Socrates 
and  his  name  has  come  down  to  us  by  the  same  token  that  of  Booth  comes 
with  Lincoln.  He  was  a  poet  and  a  cheap  wit,  skilled  in  the  art  of  ridi- 
cule, but  that  was  all.  He  has  many  disciples  on  the  daily  press  of  this 
day,  who  are  working  even  more  harm  than  he  did  because  they  have 
greater  opportunity.  But  as  there  is  not  a  line  in  history  to  his  credit 
in  the  matter  of  uplifting  humanity,  so  there  will  never  be  in  theirs. 
He  and  they  were  and  are  as  arrogant,  selfish  bulldozers  as  any  gold-bug  of 
1896,  breed  of  politicians.    Nearly  all  of  them  are  Christians,  too. 

Aristotle,  another  Greek  philosopher,  born  384  B.  C,  was  a  second 
Socrates,  and  after  the  death  of  his  friend  King  Alexander,  to  whose  son 
he  was  tutor,  he  was  accused  of  impiety  and  had  to  flee  the  country  to 
save  his  life,  or,  as  he  put  it:  "to  save  Athens  the  opportunity  to  sin 
against  philosophy  a  second  time."  Aristotle  coined  the  word  metaphysics 
as  referring  to  mind  study  because  the  prefix  "meta"  means  "after"  and 
he  argued  we  should  first  study  physical  laws,  or  the  products  of  an  infinite 
mentality,  then  study  that  mentality. 

Jesus  Christ  was  born  about  five  years  before  the  present  system  of 
numbering  years  was  adopted.     He  created  the  greatest  furor  of  all  by 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


309 


making  absolutely  no  pretenses  as  a  philosopher.  He  announced  that  he 
was  the  son  of  God  and  the  future  judge  of  the  world.  He  declared  boldly 
that  the  dominant  religions  were  humbugs  and  urged  people  to  judge  them 
by  their  works.  He  gathered  about  him  a  lot  of  fishermen  and  others,  the 
poorest  elements,  instead  of  philosophers;  they  aggregated  several  hun- 
dreds; from  these  he  selected  twelve  apostles  to  attend  him  and  learn  his 
methods.  He  was  a  young  man. of  great  magnetism,  evidently;  then  his 
mysterious  proposition  appealed  more  strongly  to  them  than  did  the  mathe- 
matics of  the  philosophers  and  he  succeeded  in  organizing  the  masses  so 
well  that  he  left  an  impression  on  the  history  of  Europe  and  parts  of  Asia 
and  Africa  since  he  lived.  His  conduct  was  more  revolutionary  than  any 
of  his  predecessors,  the  philosophers,  and  he  was  soon  regarded  as  more 
dangerous.  That  settled  the  matter;  he  was  promptly  sentenced  and  exe- 
cuted by  order  of  the  existing  religions  when  he  was  about  thirty-six 
years  old. 

Peter  was  Christ's  first  apostle  and  it  was  from  him  that  the  scheme 
of  organization  was  acquired,  doubtless,  which  enabled  Peter  to  become 
bishop  of  Rome  and  the  first  of  all  the  popes,  of  which  there  have  been 
two  hundred  and  sixty-one  up  to  the  time  of  going  to  press.  Under  the 
reign  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  its  offshoots,  the  protestants,  there 
have  been  all  kinds  of  deviltry  from  drawing  and  quartering  to  burning  at 
the  stake.  This  part  of  Christianity  still  hangs  on  in  spirit  when  such  men 
as  the  president  of  the  United  States  refers  to  the  late  philosopher,  who 
wrote  "The  Age  of  Reason"  as  "A  nasty  little  atheist,"  when,  in  that  won- 
derful book  Thomas  Paine  declared  "I  believe  in  one  God  and  no  more." 
A  Christianity  that  makes  a  man  intolerant  is  strictly  in  accord  with  the 
history  of  the  church,  but  not  in  accord  with  the  example  of  Christ's  life. 

Priscillian,  bishop  of  Avila,  Spain,  was  the  first  heretic.  He  founded 
a  sect  of  his  own  which  became  so  powerful  that,  although  he  was  tried, 
convicted  and  executed  by  order  of  the  Council  of  Treves,  under  Pope 
Siricius,  the  organization  was  not  broken  entirely  for  nearly  three  hundred 
years. 

During  the  period  from  the  twelfth  to  the  sixteenth  century  the  con- 
duct of  the  priests  became  so  outrageous  that  honest  men  could  not  keep 
silent  and  heretics  became  plentiful.  Then  it  was  that  the  inquisition  be- 
gan active  operations  and  smeared  history  with  blood.  The  edict  went 
forth  that  in  ail  parishes  one  priest  and  three  laymen  should  devote  their 
whole  time  to  hunting  for  heretics  and  when  any  were  found  their  property 
was  to  be  destroyed  or  confiscated,  and  even  those  under  suspicion  were  to 
be  denied  medical  attention.  Of  course  this  afforded  opportunity  for  per- 
secution and  the  first  politics  of  the  modern  stripe  began  to  be  practiced. 
The  results  of  the  campaign  were  not  such  as  were  expected,  instead  of 
suppressing  thought  it  set  the  most  ignorant  to  thinking.  The  inquisitors 
advertised  their  own  criminality;  the  people  saw;  their  eyes  were  opened 


3io 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


and  in  rapid  succession  new  creeds  were  promulgated  which,  while  sup- 
porting what  was  regarded  as  legitimate  in  the  old  church,  protested 
against  the  inquisitorial  body  and  its  methods,  hence  they  are  called 
protestants  to  this  day.  They  are  only  a  shade  better,  if  any,  than  the  old 
Roman  Catholic  church,  in  the  matter  of  intolerance. 

Some  of  the  dissenters  were  more  noble  than  others;  for  example, 
Savonaicla,  who  did  not  seek  to  establish  a  new  church  and  thus  secure 
honors  to  himself.  He  opposed  vigorously  the  debauchery  of  the  priests 
and  fought  for  purity  in  the  Catholic  church;  he  was  not  a  heretic  in  any 
sense  of  the  word;  but  the  majority  was  against  him  and  he  was  put  to 
death  for  his  labors.  He  will  be  remembered  long  after  the  popes  are  for- 
gotten. 

Martin  Luther  was  a  later  priest  who  opposed  the  gang.  He  made  his 
first  rabid  onslaught  when  he  found  some  of  his  parishioners,  in  a  new  field 
to  which  he  had  been  assigned,  had  been  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  advance 
indulgences  for  contemplated  crimes.  Investigation  showed  it  was  a  great 
and  general  source  of  revenue.  He  denounced  it,  and  while  the  pope  may 
not  have  favored  the  practice,  he  hated  Luther  for  exposing  the  crimes. 
In  the  controversy  that  followed  the  dissenter  was  supported  by  the  Ger- 
man throne,  and  when  it  was  proposed  to  tafce  him  to  Rome  for  trial  he 
refused  because  he  knew  it  was  like  a  Chicago  justice  shop  down  there. 
Then  the  pope  issued  a  bull  against  him,  deposing  him  from  the  priest- 
hood; but  Martin,  not  a  whit  abashed,  burned  the  bull,  tail  and  ail,  and 
started  up  a  little  church  of  his  own  which  is  holding  together  today. 

John  Calvin,  a  heretic  himself,  and  author  of  the  Presbyterian  cnurch, 
wrote  a  book,  after  he  escaped  to  Geneva,  in  which  he  defended  the  right 
of  the  church  to  put  heretics  to  death.  He  probably  figured  that  he  would 
have  to  do  a  little  killing  himself  to  make  the  Presbyterian  church  a  winner. 

Wars  grew  out  of  these  inquisitions  and  secessions  until  the  civil  gov- 
ernments had  to  take  a  hand  to  stop  them  and  restore  inter-state  com- 
merce, and,  finally,  in  1648  the  peace  of  Westphalia  was  accomplished  by 
the  terms  of  which  the  creeds  of  the  Roman  Catholic,  the  Lutheran,  and 
the  Reformed  churches  were  declared,  in  all  civil  respects,  to  be  non- 
heretical.  Of  course  tne  pope,  true  to  tradition,  issued  a  bull  declaring 
the  agreement  without  effect  and  the  trouoles  have  continued  to  the  present 
moment;  but  the  pope's  claws  were  trimmed  and  the  other  fellows  were 
muzzled  to  a  considerable  extent.  Of  course,  even  in  this  country  within 
the  last  two  hundred  years  the  Christians  have  burned  dissenters  at  the 
stake,  alleging  them  to  be  witches,  but  they  found  that  for  every  witch 
or  wizard  burned  twenty  were  born  and  they  changed  their  tactics  to 
vaccination  laws  and  medical  practice  acts,  which  are  most  virulent  in 
Massachusetts,  where  the  witches  were  burned.  Of  course  the  western 
and  southern  people,  Christians  too,  burn  or  torture  a  negro  degenerate 
once  in  a  while,  which  philosophers  would  not  do,  but  it  is  not  to  be 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


3" 


wondered  at  in  view  of  the  history  of  Christianity,  in  which  everything 
was  done  by  force. 

As  philosophy  finds  its  way  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  generally  all 
sorts  of  persecution  will  cease.  Each  man  and  woman  will  endeavor  to 
become  better  acquainted  with  the  Infinite  laws  that  guide  all  things  in 
a  simple  manner,  and  they  will  make  that  acquaintance,  not  through  the 
mediums  of  priests  and  prayers  but  by  studying  the  daily  manifestations 
of  those  laws  and  finding  the  reasons  for  them  in  their  effects. 

The  most  impudent  thing  I  can  conceive  is  prayer  to  the  author  of 
the  universe  to  alter  those  laws  to  suit  the  vagaries  of  the  finite  mind,  hence 
I  do  not  waste  time  praying,  and  I  never  will. 


3I2 


NEUROLOQI    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


IMPORTANT. 

My  time  is  occupied  so  completely  that  I  cannot  undertake  to  reply  to 
letters  of  inquiry  (except  from  graduates  of  my  school)  unless  I  receive 
some  remuneration  therefor.  Hence,  others  who  desire  consultation  will 
inclose  draft  or  money  order  for  $10,  together  with  replies  to  the  following 
questions : 

From  the  doctors  I  want  the  general  appearance,  history  of  case, 
ophthalmoscopic  appearance,  diet,  habits,  vision,  L.  and  R.,  dynamic  and 
static  tests  before  and  after  correction  of  eyes,  the  prescription  for  eye 
glasses  and  age  of  patient. 

From  the  patient  I  want  answers  to  the  following : 


3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 


1.  Nature  of  complaint. 

2.  What  is  the  effect? 
How  long   running? 
Your  opinion  of  cause. 
What  has  been  done? 
Who  did  it? 
What  did  it  cost? 
What  benefits  resulted? 
What  do  you  eat? 
What  is  your  poorest  meal? 
What  the  best? 
Is  appetite  ever  ravenous? 

13.  How  is  digestion? 

14.  Are  bowels  evacuated  daily? 

15.  How  often  do  you  take  medicine? 

16.  What  do  you  take? 

17.  What  for? 

18.  Do  you  eat  much  salt? 

19.  Do  you  eat  fruit,  if  so  when? 

20.  Do  you  eat  much  pastry? 

21.  How  about  potatoes  and  other  vege- 
tables? 

22.  Do  you  have  gas  on  the  stomach? 

23.  Are  you  fat  or  lean? 

24.  Give  height  and  weight. 

25.  What  is  your  complexion? 


26.  Are  you  like  father  or  mother? 

27.  What  is  your  occupation? 

28.  What  is  your  rising  hour? 

29.  What  is  your  bed  time? 

30.  Have  you  ever  been  operated  upon? 

31.  Can  you  see  equally  well  with  each 
eye? 

32.  Try  both  eyes  together  on  news 
print,  read  as  close  as  you  can  by  straining 
long  enough  to  read  two  lines  and  give  dis- 
tance in  inches. 

33.  Have  you  worn  glasses,  if  so  was  it 
constantly  or  for  near  work  only? 

34.  Who  prescribed  them? 

35.  If  a  female,  are  your  menses  regu- 
lar? 

36.  Are  they  painful? 

37.  Are  they  copious  or  scant? 

38.  Are  you  well  developed  or  flat-chest- 
ed? 

Have  you  children? 

How  many? 

Are  all  living? 

If  any  dead,  give  particulars. 

Were  you  well  during  vpregnancy? 

Had   any   miscarriages,   if   so,   what 


39. 

40. 

41. 

42. 

43. 

44. 
cause? 


Talking  about  the  stream  of  time :  those  who  do  things,  row  up  it  in- 
stead of  floating  down.  That  is  why  the  rowers  and  floaters  get  so  far 
apart. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


3^3 


CONDENSED     FEE     TABLE. 

Instead  of  charging  patients  a  fixed  fee  per  visit  and  letting  them  come 
as  they  please,  neurologists  charge  a  lump  sum  for  the  case  and  regulate 
the  visits  as  analysis  demands. 

Eye  examinations,  $10. 

General  examinations,  $25. 

I  use  names  according  to  old-school  because  they  will  know  what  is 
meant.     We  only  recognize  symptoms. 


Abscesses,  from  $50  to  $100. 
Acidity,  same. 
Albumenuria,  $100  to  $250. 
Amenorrhoea,  same. 
Anaemia,  same. 
Angina  Pectoris,  same. 
Aphthae,  $25. 
Apoplexy,  $100  to  $250. 
Asthma,  same. 
Appendicitis,   same. 
Atrophy,  $25. 
Biliousness,  $50  to  $200. 
Bladder  Troubles,  $100  to  $250. 
Bronchitis,  $25  to  $100. 
Calculi,  $100  to  $500. 
Catarrh,  $50  to  $250. 
Chlorosis,  $100  to  $400. 
Chorea,  same. 

Conjunctivitis,  $25  to  $100. 
Constipation,  see  biliousness. 
Consumption,  $100  to  $1,000. 
Debility,  $100  to  $500. 
Diabetes,  $100  to  $250. 
Diarrhoea,  $10  to  $25. 


Dysmenorrhoea,  $100  to  $250. 
Dyspepsia,  $200  to  $500. 
Eczema,  $50  to  $250. 
Epilepsy,  $100  to  $400. 
Emissions,  $50  to  $100. 
Enuresis,  $100  to  $400. 
Floating  Kidney,  $100  to  $500. 
Flatulence,  see  acidity. 
Gall-stones,  see  calculi. 
Gastralgia,  see  acidity. 
Gout,  $100  to  $500. 
Hemorrhoids,  $100  to  $250. 
Hypochondria,  $200  to  $1,000. 
Hysteria,  same. 
Impotence,  same. 
Leucorrhoea,  $100  to  $250. 
Lumbago,  $50  to  $200. 
Neuralgia,  $100  to  $500. 
Nymphomania,  same. 
Obesity,  $50  to  $500. 
Prolapsus  Uteri,  $100  to  $500. 
Prostatitis,  $100  to  $500. 
Rheumatism,  same. 


One  reason  some  good-intentioned  people  fail  to  do  good  is  that  they 
carry  their  fads  too  far,  thus  making  them  ridiculous.  The  person  who  is 
fool  enough  to  believe  in  vaccination  in  the  face  of  the  damage  it  has  done, 
has  a  perfect  right  to  do  so ;  that  person  can  vaccinate  himself  all  he  pleases 
without  protest  on  my  part;  but  when  he  wants  to  force  me  to  take  the 
dose  he  becomes  a  criminal. 


3H 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


GLOSSARY 


Aberration — Departure  from  normal. 

Absorption — To  take  up. 

Acetabulum — The  cavity  that   receives  the 
thigh  bone. 

Achromatic — Without  color. 

Achromatopsia — Total  color-blindness. 

Albinism — Absence    of    the    layer    of    pig- 
mentum  nigrum  in  optic  choroid. 

Anaemia — A  condition  of  wasting. 

Anchylobelpharon — A  stiffening  of  the  eye- 
lids. 

Aneurism — A  wart-like  dilatation  of  ves- 
sels. 

Anisometropia — Unequal  vision  in  one's  two 
eyes. 

Anopsia — Without  vision. 

Amaurosis — Obscure  vision. 

Amblyopia — See  Amaurosis. 

Ametropia — Imperfect  refractive  condition 
of  the  eye. 

Aphakia — Absence  of  crystalline  lens. 

Aplanatic — Corrected  rectilinearly. 

Apparent — Something  seen. 

Approximate — Nearly. 

Arcus  Senilis — Senile  ulcer,  degeneration  of 
corneal  cells  forming  gray  crescent  or 
circle  at  edge  of  cornea,  mostly  in  old 
people;  harmless. 

Astigmatism — Without  a  point.  Caused  by 
irregularity  ©f  the  curvature  of  the 
refracting  media. 

Asthenopia — Fatigue  of  ocular  nerves,  neu- 
rasthenia. 

Atrophy — Loss   of  vitality,  wasting. 

Biliary — Referring  to  the  liver. 

Binocular — Two-fold  vision.  To  see  with 
both  eyes  at  once. 

Blepharitis — Inflammation  of  the  eyelids. 


Bulimia — Morbid  hunger.  Occurs  after  eat- 
ing too  much;  is,  in  fact,  nature  calling 
for  help  to  digest  what  is  in  the  stom- 
ach. 

Canthi  (s,  canthus) — Angles  formed  by  the 
upper  and  lower  eyelids,  from  the  mid- 
dle to  either  side. 

Combination — A  union  of  parts. 

Centripetal — Tending  toward  a  center. 

Centrifugal — Tending  from  a  center. 

Convergent — Two  or  more  lines  inclined 
toward  a  point. 

Chromatic — Pertaining  to  colors. 

Conjugate — Yoked  together. 

Cylindrical — Like  a  cylinder. 

Catoptrics — Laws  of  reflection  of  light. 

Chalazion — Tumor  of  the  eyelid. 

Chromatopsia — Abnormal  color  sense. 

Cilia — The  eyelashes. 

Ciliary  Body — Apparatus  of  accommoda- 
tion. 

Collyrium — An  eye-wash. 

Coloboma — A  mutilation. 

Conjunctiva — To  join  together.  The  trans- 
parent membrane  which  lines  the  lids 
and  covers  the  front  of  the  eyeball. 

Conjunctivitis — Inflammation  of  conjunc- 
tiva. 

Corectopia — Pupil  out  of  place. 

Coredialysis — A  rupture  of  the  iris. 

Cornea — Horny — The  projection  on  the 
front  of  the  globe. 

Cyclitis — Inflammation  of  the  ciliary  body. 

Cycloplegia — Paralysis  of  the  ciliary  mus- 
cles. 

(Cycloplegics — Drugs  which  paralyze  the  ac- 
commodation. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PORTION. 


315 


Disintegration — Separating  parts. 

Divergent — Two  or  more  lines  radiating 
from  a  point. 

Dispersion — To  scatter. 

Density — Compact. 

Diaphanous — Transparent. 

Duality — Double. 

Dacro-cystitis — Inflammation  of  the  lach- 
rymal sac. 

Daltonism — Color-blindness. 

Dioptre — To  see  through;  a  unit  of  measure 
in  optics;   one  metre. 

Diplopia — Double  vision. 

Dynamic — Force. 

Ecchymosis — Black  eye. 

Ectopia — Partial  luxation  of  the  crystal- 
line. 

Ectropion — Eversion  of  eyelids. 

Emmetropia — A  perfect  condition  of  the 
refracting  media. 

Embolism — A  rupture. 

Entropion — Inversion   of   eyelids. 

Entozoa — A  worm-like  parasite,  which  finds 
its  way  into  almost  any  portion  of  the 
eye,  and  destroys  tissue  by  causing 
small  cysts. 

Enucleate — To  remove. 

Epiphora — Overflow  of  tears. 

Esophoria — Convergence  of  visual  axeg. 

Essential — Necessary. 

Equivalent — Equal  in  value. 

Exophoria — Divergence  of  visual  axes. 

Exophthalmos — Abnormal  prominence  of 
eyeballs.     Graves'   disease. 

Foramen — A  passage  or  opening. 

Fossa — A  ditch. 

Fundus — Bottom. 

Finite — Having  a  limit. 

Formula — A  form. 

Glaucoma — Green;  a  disease  of  the  ciliary 
processes  and  optic  nerve. 

Glioma — Glue. 

Hypothesis — A  supposition  assumed  for  the 
purpose  of  presenting  an  argument. 

Horizontal — From  horizon  to  horizon. 

Hemopia — Half  vision. 

Hemeralopia — Day   blindness. 

Heterophoria — An  abnormal  muscular  con- 
dition. 

Heterophthalmos — Congenital  differences  of 
color  in  the  iris,  or  of  two  eyes. 


Hippus— Alternate  contraction  and  expan- 
sion of  pupil. 

Hordeolus — A  stye. 

Horopter— The  field  of  vision  included  by 
both  eyes  at  once,  without  moving. 

Hyaloid— Glass-like;  a  thin  membrane 
which  lines  the  inner  surface  of  the  eye. 

Hyalitis— Inflammation  of  the  vitreous. 

Hyperphoria— One  optical  axis  tends  above 
the  other. 

Hypopyon— An  abscess  from  corneal  ulcers. 

Inverted — Upside  down. 

Index — A  pointer. 

Iridectomy — A  cutting  of  the  iris. 

lridodialysis — Separation  of  iris  from  cili- 
ary body,  as  a  result  of  blows. 

Iridodonesis — Trembling   of  the  iris. 

Iris  (a  rainbow) — The  colored  portion  of 
the  eye  surrounding  the  pupil. 

Iritis — Inflammation   of  the  iris. 

Jugular — Pertaining  to  the  throat. 

Jurisprudence — Relating  to   law. 

Keratitis — Inflammation   of   the  cornea. 

Keratokonus — Conical  shape  of  the  cornea. 

Keratonyxis — Puncture  of  the  cornea. 

Luminous — Emitting  light. 

Leucoma — White. 

Leucorrhoea — White,   to  flow. 

Lagophalmos — Inability  to  close  the  eye- 
lids. 

Locomotor    Ataxia — Creeping   paralysis. 

Metaphysics — Pertaining  to  the  mind. 

Meridian — A  line  drawn  from  one  side  of 
a  circle  to  the  other  through  the  center. 

Meter — Measure. 

Macula — Spot.  The  field  of  sharpest  vis- 
ion. 

Malingerer — One  who  falsely  pretends  to 
have  an  incurable  defect  of  vision,  or 
other  function,  to  excite  sympathy  or 
evade  duty. 

Metamorphopsia — Distorted  vision. 

Migraime — Sick  headache. 

Muscae  Volitantes — Floating  specks  in  the 
eye. 

Mydriatics — Drugs  which  dilate  the  pupils. 

Myopia — To  close  the  eye. 

Myotics — Drugs  which  stimulate  the  ac- 
commodation. 

Neurology — The  science  which  treats  of  the 
nervous  system. 


3i6 


NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 


Negative — Opposed  to  positive. 
Nodal  Point — A  center  of  curvature. 
Nebula — A  cloud. 

Nephritis — Inflammation  of  kidneys. 
Neuritis — Inflammation  of  the  optic  nerve. 
Nictitation— To   wink. 
Nystagmus — A  jerking  of  the  eyeballs. 
Nyctalopia — Night  blindness. 
Oblique — Slanting. 
Oedema — An  exudation. 
Ophthalmia — Inflammation  of  the  eyes. 
Ora  Serrata — Serrated  boundary.     The  cir- 
cle  of   connection  between  the   retina 
and  ciliary  processes. 
Orthophoria — Normal  muscular  condition. 
Ophthalmoplegia    (interna    and    externa)— 
Paralysis  of  the  sphincter  muscles   of 
pupils   and   ciliary;    usually   from   the 
use  of  cycloplegics. 
Parallel — Two  lines  constantly  at  equal  dis- 
tance from  each  other. 
Perpendicular — At  right  angles  to. 
Positive — Absolute,  direct. 
Physics — Natural  philosophy. 
Piano— Flat. 
Palpebrae — The  eyelids. 
Pannus — Corneal  vascularization  from  long 

continued  irritation. 
PapiV  i  -A  nipple.    The  optic  disk. 
Phak  I  is — Inflammation  of  the  lens. 
Phlyctenule — A  pimple. 
Photophobia — Aversion  to  light. 
Pinguecula — A  small  elevation  on  the  ocu- 
lar   conjunctiva;    sometimes    mistaken 
for  pterygium. 
Posterior    Synechia — Adhesion    of    iris    to 

lens. 
Presbyopia — Old  sight. 

Pterygium — A  little  wing.     Is  a  hypertro- 
phy of  the  conjunctiva  and  grows  on 
sclerotic  and  cornea,  sometimes   inter- 
fering with  vision.    May  be  removed. 
Ptosis — A    falling    of    the    upper    lid   from 

paralysis  of  the  third  nerve. 
Retina — A   net.     The  visual   membrane   of 

the  eye. 
Repulsion — To  drive  away. 
Refraction — To  break. 
Reflection — To  turn  back. 
Right  Angle — Perpendicular. 
Respective — With  reference  to. 
Reversed — Turned  around. 


Spectral — Refers  to  colors  found  by  sepa- 
ration of  a  ray  of  light  into  its  ele- 
mentary colors  by  a  prism. 

Symbol — Having  resemblance. 

Spherical — Like  a  sphere  or  globe. 

Segment — A   slice. 

Sclerosis — Hardening. 

Sclerotic — Hard.     The  white  of  the  eye. 

Scotoma — Obstruction  of  vision  from  hem- 
orrhages.    Darkness. 

Staphyloma — A  bulging  projection.  Ante- 
rior, comes  after  corneal  ulcers,  and  is 
a  bluish-white  in  appearance.  Poste- 
rior, is  a  projecting  backward  of  the 
posterior  pole  of  the  eye. 

Strabismus — To  squint. 

Stroma — Bedding. 

Supercilium — The  eyebrows. 

Symblepharon — Adhesion  of  ocular  and  pal- 
pebral conjunctiva,  caused  by  escharot- 
ics,  such  as  lime,  ashes  or  other  alka- 
lies. 

Synechia — To   hold   together. 

Synchisis — To  flow  together. 

Transparent — Passes  light  so  objects  can  be 
seen. 

Translucent— Passes  light,  but  objects  can- 
not be  seen. 

Tapetum — A  carpet. 

Tension — The  condition  of  an  organ,  mus- 
cle or  nerve  when  under  strain. 

Thrombosis — A  plugging  of  retinal  vessels 
by  blood  clots.  Sometimes  causes 
hemorrhages  which  bring  at  least  tem-r 
porary  blindness. 

Trachoma — (Rough.)  Granular  conjunctiv- 
itis. 

Trauma — A  wound. 

Tinea  Tarsi — Eczema  of  border  of  lids. 

Urea — The  chief  solid  constituent  of  urine. 

Uveal  Tract — The  choroid,  iris  and  ciliary 
body  of  the  eye. 

Vertical — Straight  up  and  down. 

Virtual — Existing  in  effect. 

Vesicular — Bladder-like. 

Vascular — Pertaining   to   vessels. 

Vitreous — Glass-like. 

Xanthelasma — Yellow  patches  of  fibrous  tis- 
sue on  the  lids,  mostly  of  women. 
Harmless,  but  may  be  removed. 

Xerophthalmus — Dry  eye. 


CONTENTS 


CONTENTS. 

Introduction j 

Ease  and  Disease I_V 

Impotence  of  Old  Methods V-VIII 

PHYSICAL     PORTION. 

Anatomy  and   Physiology !_I4 

The  Eyes  as  Double  Gauges          . 14-26 

Light  and  Refraction 27-48 

Prescription  Writing 48-57 

Condensed   Anatomy 58 

CLINICAL     PORTION. 

The  Eyes  as  Factors  in  Analysis 59-67 

Alleged  Diseases  of  Women             67-71 

The  Fitting  of  Glasses 72-81 

The  Neurometer 82-91 

A  Much-Mooted  Question 91-103 

Some  Prism  Figures 103-108 

Eye  Instruments  and  Machines 108-120 

About  Alleged  Diseases             121-133 

The  Matter  of  Diet 133-149 

Clinical  Hints             150-166 

Pictures  of  Consumptives  and  Cross-Eyes 167-179 

METAPHYSICAL    PORTION. 

Genetic  Psychology 181-185 

Study  Causes  by  Effects 185-202 

Mental  Diseases         .         . 202-206 

Quiz            207-214 

The  Consideration  of  Mentalities 214 

Answers               215-225 

MISCELLANEOUS     PORTION. 

The  Matter  of  Fees 229-230 

Neurology's  Proclamation 231-233 

Significance  of  Physiognomy 234-236 

Sexuality  vs.   Sensuality 237-240 


318  NEUROLOGY    AND    METAPHYSICS. 

A  Pathetic  Situation 241-242 

"Where  Ignorance  Is  Bliss"             .                 .         .         .         .         .  243 

Neurology  Like  a  Piano           .                  244 

How  to  Make  Good  Doctors           . 245 

Serum  Therapy  a  Crime 246-247 

It  Is  a  Disgrace  to  Be  111 .  248-250 

What's  in  a  Name 250-251 

Oblique  Cylinders .         .         .  252-253 

Circles  of  Diffusion 253-254 

Pterygiums  and  Cataracts 254-255 

A  Bit  of  History 255-256 

Neurologists  Must  See  Patients 257 

Color-Ignorance  and  Color-Blindness 257-264 

The  Matter  of  Clothes      . 265-267 

Physical  Degeneracy .         .  267-268 

Attend  Nature's  Calls        . 268-269 

National  Diseases               269-271 

Chop-Suey  People 271 

Catarrh  a  Disgrace           . 272 

Fevers  and  Diarrhoea 272-273 

Cold  Hands  and  Feet         .         .         .         .                 .         .         .         .  273 

Those  "Wasting  Diseases" 274-275 

Knowledge  vs.  Education 276 

Stimulants — Narcotics                277 

Source  of  Body  Heat 277 

What  Night  Sweats  Mean 278-279 

How  the  Blood  Circulates 279-281 

Distribution  of  Nerve  Force 281-286 

Ganglia  and  Plexuses 286-288 

Cycloplegics,  Mydriatics,  Myotics 288-289 

Bacilli  and  the  Doctors           .         . 290-291 

Some  Optical  Statistics            291-292 

Dualities  of  Human  Ills 293 

Causes  of  Human  Ills 293 

Nervous  Dualities              294 

Constants  and  Inconstants 295 

Reason  and  "Tainted"  Money 296 

The  Inherent  Right  to  Think 296-297 

Classification  of  Cases 298-304 

The  Unvalue  of  Encyclopaedias 305~307 

Some  Bloody  History 307-3 11 

Important 312 

Condensed  Fee  Table 3X3 

Glossary              3I4~3l6 


THE 
OPHTHALMOLOGIST 


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CHICAGO,  ILL. 


One  Doctor's  Opinion 


fOU  ask  my  candid  opinion  of  the  McCormick 
system.  I  can  tell  you  this,  that  I  honestly 
believe  there  is  not  any  other  form  of  treat- 
ment in  existence  that  will  compare  with 
it.  Now  when  I  say  this  I  want  you  to 
know  that  I  am  not  speaking  simply  of  one 
method  of  treatment.  I  have  practiced  medicine  for 
years,  and  had  a  great  deal  of  experience  in  osteo- 
pathy; in  fact  I  have  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in 
hunting  things  that  I  could  depend  upon.  Now  as 
to  what  the  rest  of  his  men  are  doing,  I  don't  know 
anything  about  that,  but  as  for  me,  I  can  say  that 
I  am  making  a  grand  success  both  financially  and 
in  relieving  people.  You  cannot  possibly  have 
written  me  at  a  time  that  I  could  have  told  you 
any  more  what  I  am  doing  than  at  the  present. 

About  two  weeks  ago  I  wrote  to  everyone  I  had 
done  work  for  since  I  located  here,  and  told  them  I 
wanted  a  report  of  their  case,  just  the  results  they 
had  received,  and  the  reports  that  I  have  received 
are  wonderful. 

Now,  you  can  depend  upon  it  as  being  positively 
the  only  cure  on  earth  for  a  great  many  diseases. 
When  a  case  comes  to  you  of  the  following  troubles: 
headache,  constipation,  female  troubles,  and  most 
all  nervous  troubles,  stomach  troubles,  etc.,  you  are 
just  as.  sure  to  cure  as  you  can  get  them  to  follow 
your  directions  and  to  know  you,  when  I  first  came 
to  Sedalia,  I  gave  written  contracts  to  refund  money 
if  they  did  not  get  benefitted,  and  out  of  about  2000 
of  these,  I  had  five  come  back  for  their  money,  and, 
believe  me,  not  a  one  of  the  five  would  follow  my 
directions,  but  rather  than  have  a  fight  with  them 
which  should  have  been  done,  I  gave  them  their 
money  back. 

Now  Doctor  I  can  tell  you  this,  that  in  all  my 
experience  in  hunting  the  system  that  can  be  de- 
pended upon  I  can  find  nothing  that  anything  near 
compares  to  Dr.  McCormick 's. 

Yours  truly, 

J.  E.  CANNADAY,  M.  D. 

Sedalia,  Mo.,  Oct.  2,  1905. 


J 


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